The Madness of Obsession
by The-Fifth-Sun
Summary: 800 years ago Shinigami sealed away a powerful Kishin. 800 years later, he was able to get his life back on track. Still, he never forgot about the past, and when students start returning with tales of a red eyed boy with black and white hair coming to their rescue, he can't help but wonder if it's who he thinks. (AU story, might change rating. This been done before? Kishin Vajra)
1. Chapter 1

**A what if story involving a change in the story Kishin back story.**

* * *

 _In the darkness of the room, a single person laid sprawled out on a soft, fluffy bed. He stared up at the ceiling, mind flashing back to the days events. His warriors were out numbered on a simple mission, the witches must have found out about it. And he, Lord Death, Shinigami, had the perfect opportunity to be rid of the witches leader. But he was distracted from his fight with the young Grand Witch because he feared for his followers safety._

 _He let her get away._

 _It could have been over. They could have gotten the upper hand. His own fear was getting in the way. Sitting up, the man sighed. Was it possible to remove his fear? Would there be consequences to that action? Perhaps he was letting himself get too human? That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but if it causes problems for him..._

 _Maybe just for battle he could lose his human form and fight as a shade. People seem more intimidated when he appears like that anyway...but no, human form or not, the fear will still be there. He had to get rid of it. Shinigami hated his fear. Hated that it was a drawback. It had to go._

 _Calling up his soul, he stared at the glowing orb in his hands. He was really going to try this, wasn't he? Well, it was necessary... Yes, he couldn't let the others be hurt again because of him. Because of his fears._

 _It took some time to locate where exactly his fear was, but once he'd found it, he grabbed it and pulled. The fear clung stubbornly to his soul, and it took a few minutes to actually get it to dislodge. But it did so with a quiet popping sound and he let the fragment drift off to the side on its own. There was a terrible nagging in the back of his head, but he just wanted to ignore the piece of himself he didn't like._

 _The feeling increased by the second though and he couldn't figure out what was wrong. It had to do with the soul fragment he knew, but why? It would just fade away, wouldn't it?_

 _With a sudden start he realized that, no, it wouldn't fade away. He spun around to face the fragment, to find it was almost formed into a complete soul. Panic settled in his stomach and he hurriedly reach out to it hoping it wasn't too late and that the damage wasn't done to the poor thing. The second his hand made contact with the nearly complete soul, the room was flooded with a bright flash._

 _Shinigami reeled back, shielding his eyes from the sudden, bright light. His mind registered the sound of something hitting the floor and he looked up, blinking to readjust his eyes to the dark. He could barely see, so he lit a small candle he found on the nightstand by his bed and held it up curiously._

 _Laying on his bedroom floor was a child, no older than tweleve at most. The boy had no clothes and was very pale. His hair was black with strange white markings the made the man think of eyes. Speaking of which, the boy seemed to have three of them and there were strange eyes symbols on his hands as well._

 _Something deep in his mind said that the boy shouldn't be so old. Shinigami laughed a humorless laugh as he quietly mumbled, "It hasn't even been a day and I've already messed up as a father, huh kiddo?" He carefully patted the sleeping boys head before setting the candle on the nightstand. Then he was careful to pick the child up gently and lay him in his bed before shuffling through his drawers for something._

 _He wound up putting him in a shirt way too big for such a small boy. Once the child was covered, he laid beside him and stared at his first, and only, child. Damn, all he wanted was to be rid of his fears, and now he was stuck with the personification of them. He hoped he had spared the boy some trouble though, despite the fact that he was almost too late to stop the soul's formation. He wondered how being mostly made of fear might affect his child._

 _At least he could rest a little easier knowing that the boy still had some time to grow and change. The fear would probably always be there, but at least his son might be able to subdue it. Then a thought occurred to him._

 _"How am I supposed to introduce you to the others...?" Shinigami trailed off, he didn't even have a name for the boy. Maybe he could just call him 'kid'? He'd ask Eibon later, maybe the man could help. Or maybe the Black Mass. He wasn't about to ask Excalibur for a suggestion mostly because he was sure to hear things like "Excalibur Jr." from the weapon. There was no way he'd call his son that._

 _Tomorrow, he decided. He'll name the boy tomorrow._

* * *

The next morning he woke up and his son wasn't by his side. At first he panicked, but then he spotted him huddled in the corner against the headboard and the wall. The child eyed him with a suspicion someone his age shouldn't have, and when the older shinigami pushed himself up, the boy jerked back. The was a crack as his head hit the wall and immediately the man reached out to his son, only for the boy to smack his hand away.

He figured the boy would be difficult because of his fear to some extent, but didn't he realize he was trying to help? "Hey, kid, calm down...shh it's okay." But that didn't help as his son started to cry, face scrunched up as the tears fell. He barely made any sound however, and Shinigami was somewhat alarmed by that fact. Weren't kids supposed to be loud when they cried?

...was his son too scared of him to make any noise? Why is he so scared though? The man made to run his hand through his hair when he came in contact with something hard. He was still wearing his mask...which was probably splattered in witches' blood and scarier than normal because of it. Quickly, he pulled it off and set it aside and pulling down the cloak hood. "Hey! Hey look! It's okay, see! I look like you!"

And the boy looked up curiously, though still obviously terrified, and uncurled himself a bit. Shinigami wanted to shriek in joy when his son actually came closer to him and smiled broadly when the boy gently patted his cheeks with his small hands. But his son was quick to back away again, back into the corner.

However, a small, quivering voice spoke up, "W-who...?" And a finger was pointed in the Death God's direction. He was slightly thrown off by the fact that his son could speak, but brushed it of as a side effect of his own stupidity. His son was mostly passed all those normal childhood stages it seemed. Damn, that meant he missed out.

He figured he'd mope about it later since his son was still waiting for an answer. "My name is Shinigami, though some call me Lord Death. I'm your father."

The boy nodded at that, then blinked and looked up in confusion. "What's...'father'?"

The shade had to admit he was thrown off by the question. "Oh, um...it means you are a part of me. You are my son, and we share the same blood. Or wait..that's not the best explanation... Your blood is yours, but, um, your soul was a part of mine once. So we're related directly because of that."

Despite the confused ramblings of his father, the boy seemed to understand. Then he asked, "And what's a...a 'name'?"

"It's what people call you by. Like I said, my name is Shinigami."

"Do I have a name? Or can I pick one?" The boy asked. It was then that the man noticed how the boy seemed less scared around him.

"Well, normally fathers name their sons, but if you find one you like before I name you, then that's fine." He stated. He quickly glanced out the window to see that he'd been in his room for way to long. Somebody was going to come looking for him. "Well, I need to go before the other warriors come looking for me. Plus I think you should met them now. They may look odd or even scary, but they are my friends and I trust them."

The boy nodded in understanding, watching his father slide from the bed. When he tried to hop down, his foot got caught and the man was lucky enough to catch him. Of course the sudden scare left the boy clinging tightly to his neck, and he had to sigh. He didn't know what to do with a child! Hell, he didn't know if there was any difference between a little shinigami and a human. He hoped Eibon would be the first he'd meet.

* * *

A week and many disastrous meetings later, Shinigami's son was finally getting used to the other residents of the Gallows Mansion. He still steered clear of the Black Mass, but the great one was more than understanding once learning how his some was made of his fear. He was reprimanded for his foolishness by the dark, dripping entity and actually informed on how bad it could have been had he let the soul fully form. The thought of fear being the driving force behind the boy's actions was both worrying and upsetting. What kind of father wanted his son to live in constant fear? Not him.

But another thing that bothered him was the child's name. He needed one and Eibon had told him that, no, he wasn't aloud to name the boy 'Kid' and yes he was sure that would be a bad idea, why are you so persistent on this matter? He had recently stumbled upon one he actually liked and was currently searching for the little boy.

When he found him he was surprised to see Eibon holding his son in his arms while the boy bombarded him with question after question. There was an exasperated tone to Eibon's voice and Shinigami had to wonder how long his son was bothering his friend for. "Okay, so, can people love animals like they love people?" He heard the boy ask, quickly ducking around a corner before Eibon saw him. He really wanted to hear this.

"In some ways yes, it's fine. But in other ways no, because it's illegal." He heard the sorcerer say.

"What's 'illegal'?"

"It means you're not aloud to do it. It is against the law."

"Oh." There was a pause. "How is the 'other way illegal?"

"Because animals don't think like people." Eibon explained. It seemed that the man was attempting to keep his explanations kid friendly.

"But what's the illegal way?"

"That is for your father to explain when you get older."

"Can it be illegal to love some people? Is there a wrong way for that?"

"When you're older..."

"I wanna know now!"

"No." And Shinigami couldn't help but chuckle. He could already imagine the pout on his son's face. He loved his son, even if he had a slight aversion to the boy as he was the personification of his old fear. It was ridiculous, but a part of him worried that he fear would somehow return to him.

Suddenly, Eibon stopped and called out, "I heard you Shinigami. Come and take your boy!" And he did, after heaving an exaggerated sigh. The sorcerer held the child up for him to take and for some reason the shade felt like his friend was frowning. "And get the boy some real clothes too, he can't keep running about in your shirts."

He took the boy, who immediately clung to him and nodded. "I know Eibon, I'm working on it, but I have to keep tabs on the witches too. I can't let them find out about Asura. Not yet. He's too little."

There was silence and then his son asked, "What's 'asura'?"

"That's you, your name! If you like it anyway. Do you?"

The boy looked thoughtful for a moment. "...Asura...yeah! Yeah! I'm Asura!"

* * *

Twelve years later the boy looked the same. It made training hard for his father, but Asura wanted to learn. It seemed like he really enjoyed learning, much to Eibon's pleasure. The man was more than happy to lecture his son now that he didn't ask so many stupid questions. Shinigami was just glad for the distractions his friend provided.

However, despite the fact that Asura was getting more comfortable with the other warriors, he seemed...lonely to Shinigami. The little reaper was still very frightened of, well, everything and anything. Thankfully Eibon pointed out that Asura seemed to do better when he understood what he was scared of. So other times Eibon, the other warriors, or himself would do their best to explain how things worked.

The shade could recall the first time they realized how bad his sons fears were. It was during a particularly nasty storm, which rarely happened in the desert, that Asura had completely lost it and immediately hid underneath his father's cloak. Eibon had surprisingly decided to explain how storms like this happen to his son, and then Asura spent the night still hidden, but arguing with the man about the many dangers of a thunderstorm.

But even with the other warriors support, Asura still seemed off. He had often times caught his, now officially twelve year old son staring out of the window at the village below them. Perhaps he wanted a friend his own age? Someone to play and train with. He'd look into that later, for Asura's sake. He had a mission soon and he wanted to say goodbye to the boy for once. Sure Asura was used to him disappearing to go and fight, but still it's the thought that counts.

When he left that day, he hadn't been expecting the answer to his son's apparent loneliness. But that's what he got, in the form of a little boy his son's age named Vajra, whom they found in the depths of the witch's lair. Somehow the witch had gotten a hold of Eibon's theory on making weapons like Excalibur and actually succeeded.

Still he brought the oddly optimistic boy home with him and introduced the two. Asura was understandably scared and Vajra seem immediately smitten with his Meister. Though it took a while, the two became inseparable and eventually became known as Death's most feared warrior duo.

Everything was going so well, no body could have predicted that the two would one day vanish without a trace. No one could have known that a while after that, a full fledged Kishin would rise. And no one definitely could have predicted that it would be...

All Shinigami knew was that his son was dead...and he had a Kishin to deal with.


	2. Chapter 2

"-sama! Shinigami-sama!" The shade blinked once as he realized he was currently staring off into space. Spirit, the Death scythe he kept closest to him, was waving his hands in his face to get his attention. He really wasn't in the mood for this, he decided as he raised his hand.

"SHINIGAMI CHOP!" He yelled, slamming his hand in a chopping motion onto the poor man's head. Spirit reeled back and put his hands on his head, staring wide eyed at his meister.

"What was that for?!" The red head shouted angrily. "You were just sitting there staring at nothing! Meanwhile I was just trying to tell you that Kid was back from his mission!"

Oh...well now he felt bad. "I'm sorry Spirit, I was just thinking and you surprised me." The shade could have sworn he heard the man mutter something about a warning next time. "So, how'd he do?"

"Great as usual..." Spirit mumbled, rubbing the same spot again and hissing in pain. "Geez though, what's wrong? You get like this every year, and yes, I've noticed since I started working with you. I get you might not want to tell me, but I thought I'd let you know you can talk to me."

Shinigami nodded, "Ah thank you Spirit but it's nothing. Just some old memories from the past is all." Spirit didn't exactly look convinced by that, but he wasn't stupid enough to push his limits when he'd already gotten 'Shinigami Chopped' once. Not liking the tense silence, the shade asked, "So, Spirit? Didn't Maka have a big test lately? How'd she do?"

Almost immediately the atmosphere changed, as the weapon brightened. "Oh! My sweet, smart little Maka passed with flying colors! But of course she did, she always does.I'm so proud to have such a smart little girl!"

The shade nodded along, feeling slightly guilty about playing his weapons feelings to change the topic. But then surely the man would rather rant about his daughter than listen to him talk about his own failure as a father. He had accepted that he could only blame himself for what happen all those years ago, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try to keep that from happening again.

After all, Liz and Patty may be good friends and partners for Kid, but so was Vajra to Asura. He'd be damned if he lost another son to a psychotic weapon partner.

Banning those thoughts from his head, he focused intently on Spirit's ecstatic ramblings, deciding to lose himself in the comfort of normalcy.

* * *

Deep beneath the rotting wooden beams of the old temple, laid a maze of stone and cavernous tunnels. These were by no means easy to access whether one was entering or exiting and he knew this for a fact. It was impossible to keep track of how many times he tried to escape from this place, but he was going to keep trying.

The easiest part would definitely be the end, he had reached it finally and recognized that it was a simple sealing rune that kept the door shut. That would be the easiest part for sure since he knew how to break it. Then finding the way would take a while, but he did have it memorized. No, the hardest part would be sneaking around the Sentinels.

The damn things were left here to keep him locked up, "for his own protection". He scoffed at the idea, they did more harm than good, but he wasn't about to get too into it. Right now he needed to focus. He needed to get out. The sooner the better.

The footsteps outside that signaled the approaching Sentinel would pass he knew, then count to ten and slip out after it. He needed to grab some new clothes though, before he left. His own were ruined. Or, scratch that, he'd find some once he got out. Escape first.

Still, he wished he had something more than half rotted clothes to cover himself with. At least the cloak and what was left of his absurdly long scarves had held up during his imprisonment. Subconsciously pulling the cloak tighter, he shuffled closer to the door, a rusty old key in his hand.

As the heavy steps passed he held his breath and unlocked the door, pushing it open quickly and quietly. They weren't exactly alive, but they still had senses. If they saw or heard him, they'd cut him down and throw him back in his cell. And fighting was out of the question, what with his condition. He'd only just healed enough to walk form his last escape attempt.

As he crept down the hall, his hand drifted to the metal band around his neck. The damn thing was carved with all sorts of runes and spells that restricted his powers, so he wasn't able to blast his way through the roof like he'd wanted to do all those years ago when he was lock away here. No, instead he was left to rot away, alone, by the one person he dared to let so close. Not even his father was that close to him.

Taking a right, he sighed. His own fears had gotten him into this mess, he'd been played by best friend. The guy who said he'd protect him from his fears, had looked him up and made him fear for his life! And then he leaves and never comes back, leaving him at the mercy of these living statues.

Quickly shaking his head, he focused on the path to the exit. A part of him was still afraid that he'd see _him_ on the other side of the door, but that was something he wasn't going to think of. No, the path...he was almost there. Take a right, straight, hide in a side room, left...rounding the final corner, he felt a sudden swell of pride and excitement. Pride because he did it! And he wasn't caught yet! Excitement because he might finally make it home!

He walked up to the door and looked over the rune sealing the door. It was a simple one that only needed countered with the opposing symbol. He set to work, quickly drawing the lines over top the original symbol, 'undo' over 'bind'. As the last line connected, the symbols burned bright and then disappeared completely.

Behind him, he heard shouts of alarm from the distorted voices of the Sentinels, and thundering footsteps approaching. In panic he flung the door wide open and bolted through. The hall on the other side was long and littered with holes, but he did his best to avoid them. The pain in his feet caused by the splintered wood floor was dulled to him while he made his way out.

Still, there was a little bit of pleasure when he heard the floor give out beneath one of the stone monstrosities. Serves them right.

Ducking under a fallen pillar, he risked a single glance over his shoulder. The headless stone creature behind him had stopped, but so did his heart for a moment as he realized how close it was to him a second ago. He turned back around, ignoring the resounding crashes as it cleaved it's way through the pillar with the stone sword it carried.

He burst through the partially opened doors of the temple, frozen in place as he heard a static shout, "LORD ASURA!" But he didn't look back, he knew they were bound to the temple and unable to leave. He didn't look back, too afraid to see the massive, headless humanoids that were probably all lined up at the temple's entrance, glowing with the power of the runes that gave them life.

Asura ignored the cold snow, ignored the pain of scrapes and cuts and a wound that still had to heal completely, ignored his body screaming at him to stop and rest and just ran. He ran until he reached the bottom of the mountain. Ran through a small village. Ran until his legs gave out and he hit the ground with barely enough time to catch himself.

He was cold, hurt, tired, and starving, but as he heaved and retched from pushing his wounded body's limits he smiled. And then he laughed and laughed and laughed and he vaguely registered the tears falling. _'I must look like a madman.'_ He thought, and maybe he was.

And it was only his fear of freezing to death that spurred him to move and seek shelter. Once he found a decent cave to hole up in, he pulled the cloak tight around him and closed his eyes. And he fell asleep like that, curled against the wall with his cloak pulled tight around his shivering form, as he wonder if his father missed him or not.

* * *

 **Some time later:**

Sitting up on the rooftop gave Asura an incredible veiw of the scene below. The boy who'd arrived just moments after himself had made quite an entrance...and then proceeded to nag the Demon Weapons he had with them about symmetry of all things.

Asura found he couldn't blame the boy, the three stripes on one half of his head obviously marked the boy as a shinigami. It stood to reason that the strange obsession with symmetry might be a side effect of the Madness of Order. He himself had the Madness of Fear and that led to all sorts of weird quirks. Like the excessive layers of clothing he used to wear.

And since the boy was a shinigami, that most likely meant that they were brothers. Still, as the younger boy ranted, the potential Kishin whom he was presumably supposed to kill quickly made his get away. So, as the boy below started sobbing uncontrollably about his own asymmetrical looks pointed out by an angry weapon,Asura decided to do something about it.

He quickly followed after the kishin egg, cutting off its path an throwing a punch straight at it, effectively knocking it down. The constant fears he held bubbled up, but he paid them no mind. It was something he had learned in the war against the witches, to have a switch of sorts. He knew all the other warriors had one. The one that still slipped through was that he was still weak, still bound by runes and spells and still recovering from his imprisonment.

But he quickly snatched the evil human up by the back of his collar and relied mostly on adrenaline to haul the thief kishin back to his little brother.

Death the Kid, or Kid for short, was just about to contact his father about the mission's status when his weapon Liz alerted him to someone approaching. Motioning his Weapons closer to himself, the trio turned to confront the other. Though he was taken by surprise at the sight of the other. He could hear Liz gasp quietly beside him.

The stranger looked terrible, dressed in dirty, tattered clothes and a ratty old black cloak, that vaguely resembled his father's. There seemed to be an absurdly long white scarf wrapped multiple times around his neck and even then it trailed behind him on the ground for at least three feet. What they could see of him was covered with bandages and one ankle seemed to be in a makeshift splint.

The boy regarded them for a brief moment before throwing his arm forward and letting go of the extra baggage he had with him. In a surprisingly quie, shaky voice, the older boy said, "I believe this lovely thing belongs to you?"

Shocked, Kid looked down to see the kishin egg, Thief Lupin, whom he had been hunting. Immediately Liz and Patty transformed, and he fired on sight. The body of the creature disappeared, leaving behind the soul he was supposed to collect. "Thank you...?" The boy trailed of, hoping that the others understood, but when he looked up, the stranger was gone.

Meanwhile Asura cursed his fears, he was pretty sure he'd made a horrible first impression on his little brother. Why did he even have a brother?! Did Shinigami replace him? He'd worry about it later, surely his father would explain himself once he located him.

With a start, he realized he could have asked his brother where the man was. However when he went back to ask, the boy was gone.

* * *

 **Some important things to note about the changes:**

 **-Shinigami prevented Asura's soul from completely forming, so while Asura has room to learn more, there is also extensive damage to his soul. Asura still has too many fears, but he also has a better chance to manage them.**

 **-Vajra imprisoned his meister in a fit of Madness. He was wholly convinced that only he could protect Asura, but it's done more harm than good.**

 **-the rune band Vajra put on him restricts a lot of his powers, but Asura is still pretty strong and has some level of healing.**

 **-Shinigami believes that Vajra had killed Asura in his Madness, so Kid was still born.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey few things! First thanks to you all who read this and special thanks to those who faved, followed, and reviewed. Especially Scarlet Firesong. I'm glad you like it so much.**

 **Second, I want your opinion. Should Asura get to Death City before or after Vajra's revival? Or should he get there the night of? I just don't want to get stuck while making the decision and having you all wait forever for an update.**

* * *

The group of students leaving the Death Room had a somewhat somber, yet determined attitude about them. Well, as somber as one can get with Black Star around anyway. The blue haired boy was exclaiming how easy their supplementary lessons would be because they had him with them. His weapon, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, was trying her best to shush him, but to no avail.

The first of them to speak up was a girl with dirty blonde hair pulled up into pig tails. "Alright, so we need to track down Sid first. He's our best bet at finding the mad scientist who resurrected him. Understood?"

"Yeah, yeah. I think we all figured that Maka." The white haired boy next to her said, earning him a warning glare.

"YEAH! We'll find this guy no problem! It'll be the easiest mission for you all because you have me here!" Black Star shouted out. Beside him Tsubaki sighed and then decided to talk with Maka.

"So Maka, how did your last mission go?" The dark haired girl asked her friend. "Anything unusual happen?"

For a second the shorter girl thought about the question, then shrugged. "It was disastrous. But mostly because the witch we were supposed to kill turned out to be a cat with strong magic powers. Her name's Blair and now she kind of lives with us."

Tsubaki nodded in understanding, before Maka asked her the same thing. "Oh, well the usual, you know? Black Star got carried away and we failed our first mission, then Lord Death gave us a mission to hunt down a witch and her bodyguard. The guys we were supposed to assassinate showed up and got killed by the bodyguard and Black Star spared them because the witch was just a little girl."

She recited the events as best as she could before Black Star himself chimed in. "HEY! You forgot to mention that one guy afterwards! Remember?! It was sooo weird Soul! Ya gotta hear this!"

"It must be pretty cool to get you all worked up like this."

"It was!" The blue haired boy ran up to the front of the group and stopped, waving his arms wildly as he began. "So, we were leaving the place, right? And as we walk away we hear someone clapping off to the side, so of course we gotta check it out right? Cause what kinda guy would I be if I didn't try and interact with my fans ya know?"

"So we approach the guy and I guess we scared him cause he practically bolted away, but he didn't get to far cause he kinda collapsed. And being the big star that I am, I went to go help him out some. We helped him up and I told him I was glad he enjoyed watching my fight. I told him about how I'm going to surpass God himself one day and you know what the guy says? "

Curious Soul leans forward and Maka asks, "What did he say?" Both wanted to know because Black Star seemed more giddy than normal at this point in his story.

Breaking into a big grin, the boy continues, "The guy says, _'I believe you. Maybe one day you'll be a great Bushin. You seem to have a strong enough soul for it.'_ So that means I have another fan! WOOHOO!"

His friends were silent at this, until finally Soul asked, "...What did this guy look like?"

This time though, Tsubaki answered. "Ah, we couldn't really see his face well, he wore this really ratty looking black cloak and kept the hood up. He also had these really long white scarves wrapped around his neck and his clothes, that we could see anyway were dirty and ripped."

"I saw under the hood a bit!" Black Star exclaimed proudly. " I didn't see much, but I know the guy's got red eyes and black and white hair. And he muttered something about having to find his dad too."

Again, the other meister/weapon pair was silent. Both exchanged worried looks with each other after hearing about the stranger. Finally Maka spoke up. "We saw him too...when we were going to find Blair. Some guy like that was walking in the opposite direction. Then he stopped when he saw us and just stared as if he wasn't sure how to address us."

"Yeah," Soul chimed in, "When we offered to help him out, he said something about going home to us and took off."

"He looked like he was hurt too, so we thought we'd just walk him home." Maka added with a sigh, obviously upset that she'd let the guy get away. "But anyway, now we know to look out for this guy, so if we see him we should try to help right?"

"Right."

"Mhmm."

"YEAH!"

* * *

The entire exchange was seen by Shinigami, Spirit, and Death the Kid and his weapons. All had varying responses to the strange discussion. Spirit was understandably worried about a mysterious stranger around his daughter. For all they knew the boy was keeping tabs on the DWMA for some witch or something.

Shinigami was trying to fight off the sudden bout of hopefulness and the bit of despair he felt. The description of the stranger was pretty vague, it could be anyone really. But if there was a chance...then again, he was sure Asura was long dead, killed by his best friend in a fit of madness. His poor son probably hadn't even seen it coming either, if none of the others did. Shinigami had to shake his head to clear his mind of those thoughts, but they still lingered. They always did.

Meanwhile, Kid shared a knowing glance with his weapons and internally debated about whether or not he should mention his own meeting with the strange boy. Patty however, made the decision for them. "Oh woow~ That sounds like someone we met! You remember him Lizzie? The weird guy who brought back that Thief Lupin guy!"

"Wha-...oh yeah, I remember." The elder sister said, nodding her head. "We didn't get his name though."

"...Kiddo? You've met this person as well?" Shinigami asked curiously. He watched his son fidget nervously, like a child caught telling a lie. Then the boy nodded.

"...Yes, we did. We met him before you gave us the mission to eliminate the necromancer at the Pyramid of Anubis. Thief Lupin had escaped and before we could call you that boy arrived with the kishin egg and just threw him on the ground. He left before we could thank him."

"And why did you not tell me this when you did finally call me?" The shade asked, cocking his head to one side. The younger shinigami sighed as he realized his mistake.

Of course he should have told his father, a mystery stranger who returns an escaped kishin egg to a Meister is just odd. Especially so when the boy had appeared wounded yet was able to haul it to him. Stranger still was the fact that he had only sensed a human soul in the boy, so he wasn't a weapon.

"I'm sorry father, I must have forgot in my shock at the situation. I won't do it again."

Pleased with this, Shinigami said, "It's alright, everyone makes mistakes. But next time do tell me something like that." The shade brushed it off easily and the five of them turned back to the mirror when they heard Black Star shout. They had found Sid.

Though while the other four were fixated on the fight, his own mind wandered to places he'd rather not be, but he couldn't ignore it any more. If there was a possibility of Asura being alive, then he'd have to look into it. But that raised all sort of questions that he wasn't sure he wanted answered.

Like, if his son was alive, where had he been? What really happened to him? Why hadn't he come back sooner? And so many other things. But he needed to think though. Asura, if it really was Asura, was looking for him, was trying to get back home. Most likely wherever he was, he wasn't aware of how much time had passed. He might not even know that his father couldn't come to find him.

Another thing was that he knew Asura had amazing soul perception, so why hasn't he found him yet. On top of that, he's encountered students from the DWMA, but hasn't asked them for his whereabouts. That meant he probably wasn't aware of the fact that the Meister and weapon teams worked for him.

But then he'd also met Kid, an obvious shinigami. Logically, Asura would have assumed that it was his brother. Still, while he'd helped Kid, he hadn't asked about where he was. Of course, his elder son may have panicked and fled too. He hoped Asura didn't think he was replaced by Kid.

This was all on the assumption that the stranger really was his, supposedly dead, son. But if it wasn't him, Shinigami still couldn't help but worry. There was a boy out there, hurt and lost, but for some reason trying to get close to Shibusen students. It could be a disaster waiting to happen.

He shook his head again and tried to focus on the scene in front of him in the mirror. They were going to confront Stein soon. But he wasn't entirely there as he watched the fight unfold, or as Kid stormed out, declaring he would go and help them.

But as it was wrapping up, he turned to Spirit, and in his most cheerful voice said, "By the way Spirit, I'll need you to inform the rest of the staff to keep an ear out for rumors about this mystery kid. We have to find out if he's a danger or not." _'I don't know if it is Asura or not.'_

"Huh? Oh, sure. I'll admit it seems suspicious. "

"Yes, but I don't want to just send out an order to capture him. We aren't aware of his abilities at all and so far he's made himself an ally to us. And besides, I'd feel horrible if he just turned out to be some lost kid and we targeted him." The shade reasoned, though he knew his order was influenced partly by the fact that he might scare Asura, if it really was him anyway.

* * *

 _'...How long have I been gone?'_ Was the one thought that crossed his mind as he kicked at the asphalt road, staring after the vehicle that'd just passed. His soul perception, though dampened by the stupid rune collar thing, was still good enough as such a close range to tell him that there was a human in there. And they didn't seem distressed so he could only assume it was normal. How strange.

Asura figured it best to follow the road though, despite the fact that the speed of those vehicles was utterly terrifying. He'd just have to stay on the side so he was away from them. So he set off, careful to keep a good five or so feet from the road. It wasn't too long until he came upon a city, not a very big one, but still. There were so many people...

But with so many people, there were bound to be some evil human souls about and what kind of shinigami was he if he didn't try to get rid of them? Honestly, he was more afraid of his father finding out and being mad at him. Or worse, disappointed in him. The very thought of either situation had his heart going faster and he had to remind himself to breath properly.

Sure he feared his father, but Death himself was the only one who might help him now. Unless he didn't want him anymore. _'He does have another son now. He probably won't even bother with me.'_ It wouldn't be too far fetched he supposed. But he still had to try. What if Vajra had finally decided to come back and found him missing? What if he was out there now, trying to find him?! What if he were here?

The very thought had him whirling around to check the area as he felt his own breathing quicken in panic. He tried to push his soul perception farther than the band allowed, but no luck. How was he supposed to sense any danger if he couldn't sense anything within a few miles of him! It would be so much harder to find Shinigami like this. Casting one last frantic look about, he hurried away into the city. Maybe he could hide here, find out where he was.

Maybe he could find a way to get the collar off here..? The thought actually calmed him down some, though he wasn't sure how he might get help. Asura reached up under his scarves to touch the cold metal hidden underneath. He could feel the grooves that marked the runes carved into it. The ones that he knew were _restrain_ , _shield, activate_ , and _seal_. No matter how many times he saw or felt the collar, he couldn't understand why.

Why had Vajra done this? Did he feel threatened by his meister? Had Asura done anything remotely threatening? Had he scared his friend so badly? Or had Vajra simply decided to do this on a sick whim? Not likely, Vajra was serious about making sure he wasn't so scared. So why? Was it his fault?

Maybe Vajra did get scared, everyone else seemed to be after the Western tower fell at his own hands. But that did not make much sense because Vajra was the one to comfort him when the others wouldn't. When they were talking behind his back, calling him a monster. Calling him a threat.

But there was something wrong. Every time he remembered, something felt wrong. He was forgetting something important and if he could remember then he might be able to figure out what went wrong. He just...he couldn't. It slipped away every time.

Asura had snapped out of his musings when his fingers brushed against the tender skin around the collar. Beneath the metal, he was sure his throat was rubbed raw. Sometimes it would even bleed if he moved too quickly. And it made eating hard too, the simple action hurting him. Being a shinigami didn't mean he was never hungry. He was sure he didn't _need_ to eat, but being used to having food meant he was starving right now. Sometimes he'd get scared he would starve to death before he got home...All the more reason to get it off.

Shaking his head quickly he hurried off into the city, wincing when he felt the metal band rip open his throat once more. He didn't make a sound of discomfort, instead just being sure to keep his cloak pulled tightly around him.

* * *

"It would seem that there are rumors going around Shibusen. The kids talk about a mysterious stranger with red eyes and black and white hair." The blonde said, running a hand through her hair. She couldn't believe it, well, hardly believed it. "This could be a problem, if it really is Asura. He wasn't Death's son and heir for nothing. The brat was a menace on the battlefield too, and I've no doubt he'll get in my way."

Her voice echoed along the walls of her base, as she continued to talk to herself. "But then again, he could be useful to me. I had only intended to awaken Vajra, but it seems that boy may have kept his meister as a pet..." A frightening grin stretched across her face as she thought. "He obviously wants his meister alive, so I wonder what he will do to keep him safe?"

"We're going to have to test that."


	4. Chapter 4

It was cold and dark and damp when he woke up, and he leapt to his feet. A scream caught in his throat as he saw where he was. Slowly he remembered that he had gone to sleep underneath a bridge on the edge of town the city. It seemed the best place to hide at the time.

He breathed a sigh of relief, for a moment he had thought he was back in the temple's underground tunnels. In his dark, cold cell, with nothing but the sound of the passing Sentinels and the water dripping from the ceiling. If he had woken up back there, he would have lost it. He didn't like having dreams of escaping. They always got his hopes up and it hurt to see it was only a dream.

Rubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes, he pushed himself to actually move. Trudging out from beneath the bridge, he decided to wander the city. It was getting dark, maybe he could find someone drunk enough to steal from and not get caught? He hated to do it, but it had been a few days since he'd last found some food.

As he rounded a corner, a shrill scream pierced the air. Two new souls entered into his current range, headed towards him. One a human and one...evil human soul. Well then, looks like he had something to do.

...He really hoped it wasn't too strong this time. Asura knew that he was in no condition to fight at all, let alone firght another pre-kishin. It was just that he was afraid of his father finding out that he could have done something and didn't. The man was always drilling it into his head that it was their job as shinigami to protect humans from things like this.

Asura made his decision and took off after the two souls. It wasn't long before he caught up, but he cursed that he had to stop and catch his breath. This pre-kishin was no different than the others, twisted and deformed like the rest he'd seen. He couldn't understand why though, since he never saw Vajra like that.

Either way it didn't matter right now because what did matter was the woman it had cornered. Asura would have to say that she seemed pretty brave though, as she was holding up a broken bottle as a weapon. Even so, she was obviously scared.

Without a second thought he moved, bringing it down with an axe kick to the back and pulling the woman out of the corner. He didn't bother to see if she had run away as his attention was drawn back to the creature. It seemed to have recovered very well judging by how quickly it got back to its feet. The monstrous thing turned it's head towards him and as usual, there was a surge of fear. But for once Asura was glad to be scared. _'I was always stronger when I was scared.'_

Quick as lightning, the pre-kishin darted forward, bladed claws outstretched in a swipe the would have cleaved him in two had he not ducked under it. Asura let himself fall into his back and- _this was a horrible idea! I'm going to die! -_ used the creatures momentum to kick it over himself and send it sprawling out on the ground. But again it was up in a flash and he had just barely rolled out of the way as the claws came down again.

Now back on his feet he was practically dancing around the claws and fangs that swiped and snapped at him. He just needed a proper opening to get a hit in, but it wasn't easy without having all of his powers and being out of practice for who knows how long. After spinning out of the way of another attack, he was distracted by the sudden shout of the woman. "Look out!"

Snapping back to the fight he saw the clawed hand moments too late and it closed over his head and forced him down. A scream tore from his throat and he could sort of see through the panic the other hand raised to strike. Time slowed down for him as he watched the hand come down and then there was fire and he was free again. He scrambled backwards, his breathing quick and shallow.

There was more fire that engulfed the kishin egg and when it faded, the red soul was left in it's place. Asura briefly realized through the panic that his hood had fallen off and he quickly pulled it up again, ducking his head as the meister of the newly arrived team approached him.

It was a team of girls, he noted and the one in front of him had pink hair and green eyes. She wore an outfit similar to the other girl, a creamish colored shirt with green trim and a pleated, green skirt. As the weapon was currently busy, the other girl approached him and knelt by his side. The girl stared at him for a moment, then said, "Are you okay? That looked painful, what the hell were you thinking? You can't fight a pre-kishin without a weapon partner."

Asura flinched back at the girl's loud tone as she lectured him. In a quiet voice, he muttered, "...ah...well, it's my job to protect people from things like..." His voice trailed off as he stopped and glanced back to where the creature was. "A-at least..well, father said so..."

The girl stared at him, in disbelief. "What?! Your dad told you to do this? That's ridiculous!"

At this point, the young shinigami was sure she didn't know he was related to Death. She must have thought he was human then, and Asura couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing. The fearful voice in the back of his told him they might be enemies, so he'd just pretend for now. "I-I suppose..."

"Hey, Kim! Are we good to-" The other girl stopped mid-sentence as she saw him, and crouched beside her meister. "Oh wow! It's you! You're pretty famous back at school, you know?"

"Huh?" Asura could only stare with a dumbfounded expression at the weapon before him. She wore and outfit identical to her Meister and had long, dark brown hair and eyes to match.

"Jackie?" Her meister Kim, he thought, seemed just as confused.

"Yeah, remember? Some of the others were talking about a boy with red eyes and black and white hair coming to their aid, or just showing up during the missions. Just look at him, he fits the description." At the weapon's words, a look of recognition crossed Kim's face.

"Oh yeah! Wow, I remember.." Kim said, grinning proudly at her own self accomplishment. "Well anyway, we should probably introduce ourselves. I'm Kim and this is my partner Jackie! And you are...?" She trailed off, and it took a minute for Asura to realize she wanted his name. He would have given it too, if not for the fearful voice in the back of his head saying to not trust them. Especially the weapon of the duo.

He eyed the long haired girl cautiously and shook his head, feeling a bit of panic settle in his stomach. The two of them visibly deflated at that, but neither of them tried to push him. Instead, the weapon girl smiled and offered her hand to him which he shook just to avoid possibly upsetting them. "Well, it's nice meeting you anyway. Do you think you could answer something for us?"

A quick glance was shared by the two, and they both focused on him again. "D-depends...what do you want to know?" He couldn't keep the quiver from his tone, but it seemed like the girls didn't notice or didn't care. They only offered what he thought was meant to be a reassuring smile. Instead, it only made him more nervous, setting off all sorts of alarms in his head to not trust them, all because the friendly smile reminded him of Vajra.

The same smile his old weapon had when they'd met, after a battle, when he'd _lied_ to him and _tricked_ him, when he'd forced this collar on him and shoved him into a cold and dark room and left him an-

"W-woah! C-calm down!" The voice cut through his thoughts and he snapped his attention to the sound. It was Kim, he thinks, but he isn't really sure. Now though he notices that he was shaking badly, taking quick, shallow breaths and fidgetting anxiously with his clothes to the point where he'd ripped a new hole in them.

It's Jackie who speaks first while he tried to calm down. "Sorry...I didn't think you'd lose it like that..." She hesitated to continue but seemed to finally think of a way. "Um, so, I don't know if you know where you are, but you're in London, capital city of England in the British Isles. We're here for a mission to knock down the number of pre-kishin in this city."

When he didn't immediately respond to that, Kim chimed in, "Yeah, there's also this guy from our class,Ox Ford, who's here too. He's writing a paper on the Holy Sword Excalibur. I think he he gone of earlier, heading out to the, oh what's it called?" The pinkette turned to her friend for help, somewhat pleased to see Asura calming down again, and even looking somewhat interested.

"You mean the _'Eternal Cave'_?" Jackie supplied for her, earning a 'Yeah, thanks' in return.

Slowly, almost as if he were afraid to ask, Asura asked, "Excalibur... Is here?" He was afraid that they would just turn around and laugh at him for believing that, or that it would turn out to be a trap.

"Well, not here as in, in the city, but here as in, in the British Isles." Jackie clarified for him. He nodded, taking in the information. While he wasn't sure if he should trust these girls, he figured Excalibur could probably help him. Maybe he should investigate it?

He buried his face into his scarf to hide the smile on his face. If he could find Excalibur, he could probably find his father as well. Surely the little white...honestly, he wasn't even sure what Excalibur was, but he was confident that he would know where Shinigami was. He quickly muttered a thanks to the two girls and hopped to his feet.

Before either could stop him, he left. Kim and Jackie were on their feet quickly, ready to follow him, but the boy was already gone. Kim looked dumbfounded as she stared after him. "Damn! That guy's fast for someone who just got pummeled by a pre-kishin!"

"Yeah, huh. I was going to ask him if he wanted to join the DWMA. He's really good."

"Yeah, I know. I bet he'd do really well!"

* * *

Things couldn't ever be easy, could they? First, there were rumors of a mystery boy, who sounds more and more like his long dead son with every report he gets. Then there was the fact that one of his students gets infected by Black Blood and that another Kishin may be rising. And then the problems with setting up for the DWMA's anniversary party, which was not really his problem but Spirit insisted on whining to him when things went wrong.

And to top it all off, his other son, his little Kiddo, was glaring up at him. The boy was demanding answers about the Kishin underneath the school. And he was currently at a loss on how to explain it to Kid. "Father, please. _'The Kishin closest to us'_ , what does that mean? Whatever it is, I can handle it."

He had to sigh at that. He couldn't tell Kid that he wasn't sure he could handle it. He just couldn't help it. Shinigami never wanted to remember the events that led up to the whole battle against the Kishin. But how to explain this to Kid? He wasn't sure if he should mention his brother, well of course not. He wouldn't do that unless he had to, but he could always leave that detail out.

"...father?"

Kid's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he sighed. Leaving the mirror and motioning for his son to sit, he shifted to his more human form. Kid was surprised by this and he was somewhat uneasy now as well. Rarely did Shinigami use his human form anymore, so it seemed to emphasise the importance of the talk they were about to have.

"Alright Kiddo, I suppose I can't keep this from you forever. I just need you to bare with me for now though, as you should know what happened to lead up to this. Before I tell you, you need to promise to listen to that story." He said in a deeper voice than the boy was used to. Sure he heard it before, but so very rarely.

"I promise father."

Nodding, Shinigami sighed. "Alright then, so you should know that so much happened before the Kishin came to be. Do you remember when I told you about the Eight Warlords who'd fought with me against the witches?" When Kid nodded, he continued. "Among them was a Meister/weapon pair, the most powerful duo to ever serve under me. The Meister was called Asura, and he was so strong, many considered him to be second only to me."

The shade paused, shaking his head clear as he continued, "But Asura was an anxious and fearful individual. He was cautious around most everyone despite knowing the other Warlords for a long time. So, to help him, I paired him with Vajra, a weapon of the same name. Vajra's easy going and optimistic yet understanding personality fit well against Asura's tense, fearful, and somewhat pessimistic outlook. A classic opposites attract."

"..okay, but father? What does this have to do with-"

"I'm getting to that Kiddo." He cut his son off quickly. "At some point, Asura became reckless, diving head first into battles seemingly without thought. He was getting out of hand. It was after a particular mission, where he'd decimated the enemy stronghold single handedly, that I forbid him from missions for a while. And by extension, Vajra..."

"While they were unable to attend the missions, the rest of us left to a long battle. When we returned though, Asura and Vajra were no where to be found. They'd vanished." Shinigami paused again, taking the time to gather his thoughts. Kid meanwhile had a contemplative look on his face.

"So one of them became the Kishin?" Kid wasn't surprised, when he'd heard that he figured the story would wind up that way. His father nodded.

"The one I'm ashamed to say I never suspected. Looking back, there were signs but..." The death god trailed off and sighed, deciding to go on with his story. "Not long after the two vanished, we began getting reports of a man wearing a red pinstripe blazer and unnecessarily long black pants, who wrapped his whole head in scarves. That description fit the missing Asura, and they'd said he was killing humans and consuming their souls."

"But?" Kid knew there was a twist, and he already figured it out himself. However, he felt it best to have his father finish his tale. Maybe then he'd feel better after sharing. "It wasn't Asura, was it?"

He watched his father shake his head for a moment before running a hand through his hair. "Ah, so smart Kiddo. No, it wasn't Asura. It was Vajra. He'd purposely framed his Meister for whatever reason. But I didn't realize it was him until our battle. The things he'd said were disturbing at best." As his father paused again, Kid thought. It must have been bad for his father to be so worked up over it.

"You see Kiddo, Asura trusted me. I was supposed to protect him and I didn't. He was my s...apprentice and he trusted me so much..." If Kid had noticed his father's slip up, he didn't say anything. "I failed him. I'd thought him dangerous because of his reckless behavior, but I never bothered to confront him about it. I believed he was trying to become a Kishin so easily."

"When I saw Vajra's face beneath those scarves, I was angry, and when he spoke, it was in this deranged voice, going on about how he'd fooled Asura so easily. How he'd sealed Asura's power and how Asura had screamed and cried for our help and we weren't there Kiddo. He'd killed his Meister and I couldn't stop him. Knowing Asura hoped to the end that we'd save him..." Shinigami's hands balled into a fist at that and Kid could see his father shake in a barely controlled rage.

"I don't entirely remember that battle. Hearing him say those things...I just, I dunno, snapped. But I couldn't kill Vajra, and not for lack of trying either. He just...wouldn't die. So I did the next best thing I could think of." Kid would admit that he was well beyond frightened by this point. He'd never heard his father sound so...so furious. It was obvious how much Asura meant to him.

Still Kid swallowed his rising nervousness and asked, "What did you do?" Though he knew he was afraid of the answer. Shinigami looked at his younger son, his only son now, and suddenly slumped over, putting his head in his hands. Right away Kid was by his side, worry for his father evident.

"I sealed him away...and then I rooted my soul to this land so that he could never leave. But I can't leave either. And then in honor of Asura, my best Meister, I built this school to teach weapons and their Meister's." Shinigami finished his story quickly then, not willing to dwell on the subject any longer.

Kid was shocked, there was a Kishin underneath the school? That was...downright horrifying. Kid looked slowly between his father and the floor, his brain trying to catch up and work through all he'd been told. The younger shinigami liked to think he knew his father well. Well enough to know that he wasn't one to drag out stories like this unless he didn't want to tell you. And this might be the longest by far.

He thought back to how his father had reacted once he'd reached the part about this "Vajra" who became the first 'd never, ever seen Shinigami so furious. He was still shaking, but now had his head up and a weak smile on his face, as if trying to reassure his son.

Kid found himself unsurprised by his father's anger. Despite the fact that this happened over eight hundred years ago, he doubted his father ever told anyone about it. It was a pent up whirl of anger and guilt that seemed to spur his unusually long story. Kid couldn't blame him, he'd probably be the same if something like that happened to his own friends. The thought made him sick.

"Father..." He stopped for a moment, not sure how to continue now that his father was focused on him. "Why...why tell me all this? You could have told me that there was a Kishin underneath the school and left it at that...like I'm sure you did for the staff here."

The man shrugged, not answering at first. Then he smiled again, "I think you deserve to know. I could have just told you what I told some of the teachers and Spirit. But I guess...I wanted you to know what happened to Asura."

 _'I wanted you to know what happened to your brother.'_

* * *

To say , or the Snake witch Medusa in disguise, was happy would be an understatement. No, she was ecstatic. Her research on the Black Blood was going well, and it was most defindefinitely ready for tomorrow evening.

To top off her mood, she was now confident in the identity of Shibusen's newest fascination. Asura, the Kishin's Meister, Shinigami's son, and the most powerful Warlord aside from Shinigami himself. And if the rumors were to be believed, the boy could barely handle himself against a single pre-kishin now. She had to take this opportunity.

Tracking him down though would be a problem. Asura was just showing up anywhere, even halfway across the world from where he was last seen, It was puzzling but then, there were rumors that his weapon was secretly practing rune magic and teaching Asura for emergencies. And he could have been using something more complex than the usual runes.

It didn't matter much to her though, as she was sure he'd eventually find his way here, to Death City. She'd have to have someone who could catch him before he reached Shinigami. Or maybe she should wait? Oh well, she'd worry about catching him after reviving the Kishin, but she should still be on her toes. Asura always was an unpredictable one, and that made him dangerous.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this took so long. Big chapter here and I kept checking it over so it would be fine. I got too excited I guess.**

* * *

Asura regretted not bothering to get food after he'd run from the weapon/Meister pair that night. Mostly because he probably could have used the extra energy for what he was about to do. He was currently standing at the bottom of a tall cliff, holding the cloak's hood in place as he craned his neck to see the top. And yet again he cursed his collar for restricting his ability to fly, among countless other things he could do before.

Instead of doing the sensible thing he'd set out to do that night, namely eating, he'd taken off to find either Excalibur or the boy who'd gone off to find him. He'd found the later, who tried to warn him away from the sword, but gave in after some uncharacteristic persistence. He wasn't sure, but Asura thought he'd heard the boy mutter something about him being chased off by Excalibur's personality. Asura was sure he'd be fine though, he grew up with the ex-warlord so he was somewhat used to his...eccentricities.

Asura shrugged and shook his head, clearing the memories that tried to claw their way into his head. He'd have to avoid that damn cane he liked to swing around though. Now with his head clear, he reached out to the cliff face and felt around for some kind of a hand hold. Once he'd found one, he quickly found another one and soon he was off the ground, carefully making his way up so as to not slip and fall to his death. Logically he knew he wouldn't really die, but he'd rather not experience having his head split open, it hurt enough the last time.

As the day wore on, he was glad he'd found the place in the morning. There was enough light to see by and he didn't have to search long for hand or foot holds. And he didnt have to suffer through the midday heat. Though about halfway up he'd run out of them and had to jump to the next one. Honestly, he was sure he saw his life flash before his eyes for a second there, and he'd panicked. But he was fine, he'd made it. And now he was up at the top. He felt like he knew the place...perhaps he'd been there before? It could have been different back before he...

Anyway, Asura was glad he'd chosen to climb somewhere away from that waterfall. He most likely would have slipped on the wet rocks and fallen to his death long before hand. Now, stretched out before him was a lot of muddy ground, but he didn't mind as he began to trudge through the thick mud. He'd had worse, having to trek through copious amounts of bloody muck and occasionally whatever gore was left over after a battle.

Finally, after what felt like ages, Asura reached the cave entrance where the stones formed pillar-like structures and the water flowed through. The young shinigami wanted to sit, rest before going on his way. He couldn't though, if he sat down now, he might just fall asleep and he had to find his father before Vajra found him. Even if he hadn't seen Vajra in a while, maybe something was just occupying the weapon's time and he'd eventually sort it out.

It was that thought that helped him drag his feet through the caves, all while repeating those last thoughts in his head. It was no surprise then, that he'd been so distracted that he'd tripped on the raised edge of a stone platform. He felt his body pitch forward and threw his hands out to stop his fall. Even though it had helped break his fall, it still hurt and he'd instinctively used his free hand to check the wound still there from the last time he'd failed an escape. In retrospect, he guessed he probably should have waited until he'd heal more so it didn't reopen, but it was too late for that now.

Pushing himself up into a sitting position, the boy glanced around,. He was sitting on a large stone platform, in the middle of a cavern filled with pillar-like structures made, seemingly naturally, from the cave walls. There was a gaping hole in the ceiling where sunlight poured in from, and embedded in the center of the platform was a golden sword. It looked like it crashed in through the ceiling. He recognized it immediately and quickly stood, stumbling over to it and dropping to his knees in front of the weapon.

"...Excalibur?" He called out the weapon's name softly, reaching out to carefully touch the sword's blade warily. Asura was fully aware that the other could transform and probably try to smack him with that cane of his. It seemed he was right to be on guard as the sword was engulfed in golden light and Asura had just barely ducked the pure white cane that sailed over his head.

He quickly scrambled back out of swinging distance as the light faded to reveal the short, white...thing that Excalibur was. Wow, he'd forgotten how horrifyingly uncomfortable the creature looked with his eerie, bulbous eyes and pointed face. It always looked painful to Asura, but the weapon never showed any sign of distress.

"FOOL!" The weapon shouted. "Did I give you permission to touch me?!" Asura was caught off guard for just a second while the ex-warlord regarded him carefully. He must have sensed something was off, but quickly regained his previous composure. "Ah, well perhaps you came to see if you could wield me!"

"Wha...no, Excalibur. I'm here to-"

"Nonsense! All who come here wish to wield I, the great Excalibur!" The creature prattled on, turning his back to the young shinigami. Asura only half listened with a confused look as Excalibur went on, beginning to list some kind of requirements to be his Meister.

It was strangely familiar to hear him chatter, and he'd have loved to listen more just for the comfort the familiarity provided. However, Asura really needed to get Excalibur to shut up and listen. He needed help, and right now, the conceited weapon was his best option. And...now the weapon was going on about having a wife? And kids? Huh. Asura would bet that that didn't last very long.

As the weapon turned around to face him, he quickly pulled his hood down. Maybe he was gone long enough that seeing him would shut up the babbling weapon. "Now you see, my story began in the twelfth cen-" It seemed to work since the ex-warlord had stopped mid sentence and was now staring at the boy in disbelief.

"...h-hello? It's been a while Excalibur." Asura's voice faltered slightly as he offered what he hoped was a sincere smile. Excalibur didn't respond right away, scrutinizing the boy.

When he finally did speak, there was a trace of anger under his usual voice. "Is this some kind of a sick _joke_?" Asura was thrown off by it, and even afraid. He'd never heard the weapon sound like that. "Who sent you brat? A witch?"

The boy was appalled by that accusation, voice raised slightly in shock as he said, "No! It's me! Asura! We used to fight together under my father!" That only seemed to anger him more though.

"Do you take me for a fool?! ASURA. IS. _DEAD!_ " The white creature shouted, lashing out with his cane. The blow barely missed the boy's face when he flinched away from the attack. It sent him toppling over with a yelp of surprise. "Asura's been dead for eight hundred years..."

Asura carefully brought his one arm up defensively and curled into himself, shivering while Excalibur paced back and forth angrily. Eight hundred years? He'd been gone for that long? ...And Excalibur just said he was dead, but that wasn't right. "But...I can't...can't die. I'm a shinigami, a death God..."

At this, Excalibur froze. He turned his attention back to the boy and Asura gulped, shying away from the ex-warlord. "Please, please, please try to calm down! I'm sorry I made you mad!" He tugged his cloak tighter around his body and buried his face in his old scarves, as if he thought they would protect him from any harm. And as pathetic as is was, Asura couldn't stop shaking.

He was expecting another shout, another yell, but instead he heard the weapon sigh. "You have my forgiveness! Appreciate it, for only those few who truly deserve it receive such from me!" Taking a step closer, the short creature added in an unusually quiet voice, "And I apologize for scaring you, fool. Now! You claim to be the dead Asura? Tell me something from eight hundred years ago that only Asura would know!"

"W-wha?! Um...o-okay..." The young shinigami stammered out, afraid of being yelled at again. He shuffled back a bit more before he actually answered, just in case Excalibur wasn't happy with his answer. "Um, it took father a whole week to pick my name because he wanted to just call me 'kid' and Eibon had to talk him out of it." He saw Excalibur's eyes widen slightly, but they quickly narrowed again.

"Tell me something else." Excalibur demanded, and on seeing the confused look on the boy's face, he added, "I need to be sure it wasn't a fluke fool. Something else." Excalibur waved his cane lazily in Asura's direction, making him flinch again.

"Y-yeah! Um, do...do you remember when...Vajra taught me to use the ' _Blast'_ rune and we blew the doors off the manor? And then father forbade rune practice inside the house because he didn't want us razing it to the ground?" The boy stated, smiling fondly at the memory. When Excalibur nodded again Asura uncurled himself some, smiling a bit.

"Shinigami was furious. More so at you than Vajra, which was unfair since it was his job to keep you from doing something like that. He was teaching you after all." The weapon mused. After that the two lapsed onto a comfortable silence for a while. Or Excalibur did, Asura just felt awkward and tried not to flee from Excalibur. He wasn't usually one to stay after being yelled at in fear of it happening again, but the weapon was his fastest way home.

Then, as if it had just occurred to him, Excalibur shouted, "Where have you been?! Do you realize how much grief you've put us through?! Especially your father! He was worried sick when you and Vajra had disappeared! We looked all over for you." The weapon regretted saying Vajra's name the second he saw Asura cringe away from him.

The boy's thoughts drifted to the few brief glimpses he saw of the old temple and he quietly answered, " I don't know where I've been. As soon as I was free, I ran..."

"Why haven't you gone home yet Asura? You should have been able to find your father by now and flown home. Unless...ah yes of course! You wished to see I, the great Excalibur before you did!" For a brief moment, Asura thought he was kidding but then, Excalibur never really joked about himself. His hand strayed to the metal band under his scarves.

"I...can't."

"Can't? Of course you can! Your father would be ecstatic to see you! Not to mention you have a little brother now and I bet he would love you too." The weapon reassured happily, risking another step closer to the now calmer boy. When he didn't immediately bolt away, the ex-warlord carefully patted his shoulder.

"N-no. That's not the problem... I...this...l-look," the young shinigami carefully pulled the scarves away just enough for Excalibur to just barely see the metal. The reaction was instantaneous, the weapon's grip tightened on both his shoulder and the cane in his other hand, his voice surprisingly blank as he stared at the bit he could see.

"What's that Asura?" He watched the boy shuffle nervously under his gaze. The weapon himself wasn't one to showcase many emotions, especially anger, the Madness wavelength he presides over. However, this was a special case, one of the rare few where he would actually let himself get angry. Here was Asura, the long lost son of his old leader and friend, wounded, scared, and most of all _alive._

When the boy shook his head, more scared to answer than not knowing the answer, Excalibur tried again. "So, Asura! What can I, the Great Excalibur, help you with?" While his old comrade gathered his thoughts, the weapon took the time to really look at him. He seemed paler and thinner than the ex-warlord remembered, and his old, multi layered outfit was now just the red blazer and the extra long pants he always wore. What was left of the once white scarves was piled around his neck and trailing along behind him. And the cloak was one of Shinigami's older ones, more sharp and jagged looking than the one he and his youngest wore now.

"I want to go home...before Vajra realizes I'm gone." It was the quietest response he'd gotten yet from Asura, and his first response was to scoff at the boy. It sounded pretty ridiculous to him, knowing that Vajra had long been sealed away by Shinigami. However, he realized his mistake. Asura had no way of knowing that Vajra was gone, the look of fear in his eyes escalated to one of shear terror. Still he remained outwardly calm, probably afraid of making the weapon angry again.

"Fool! Vajra's long gone! Your father had taken care of him eight hundred years ago! There is no reason to worry!" The ex-warlord stated loudly, waving his cane around again, but this time actually being sure to keep it away from Asura's face. Not that one could tell he tried. "Still! I should take you back to Shinigami...But! First you must rest boy! You look like you might pass out!"

"But..."

"You cannot go see your father like this fool! I doubt you would make it very far anyways once we arrived! You see, Shinigami had built a school for weapons and their technicians, it's large and easy to get lost in if you have never been there before. So go on and sleep boy! I'll tell you my tale while you try to sleep!" Asura made to argue, but Excalibur had already begun loudly talking about his tale. "Now then! My story began in the twelfth century!"

And even though it wasn't the most comfortable place to try to sleep, Asura hardly had any problems drifting off. Despite his fears and doubts, Asura would gladly admit he felt the safest in the others presence that he'd ever felt in a while.

* * *

Night fell quickly over Shibusen and the sky was soon alight with fireworks. The DWMA Anniversary party had already begun and the students were milling about among their peers, too busy with their friends to notice the rift opening on the roof above the school. Asura carefully stepped through, a golden sword in hand as he adjusted his footing for the steep roof. However, being a sensible person, or so he believed, Asura tossed Excalibur back through the rift.

Excalibur would definitely draw a crowd the second someone saw him. Or he'd cause a scene for the attention. Either way, Asura would be crowded with him instead of being able to hide around the edges and he did not want that. He hated crowds.

Just as he was about to drop from the roof, he caught sight of a boy with spiked, white hair dressed in a black suit. He felt a brief swell of panic that he'd been noticed, but the boy just stood there. Asura had to remind himself again that the boy worked for his father so even if he did see him, it would be okay.

(OuO)

Soul 'Eater' didn't like parties. They reminded him of before he learned he was a weapon. That and parties got stuffy real quick. People packed in and chattering and eating and whatever else. So no, Soul admitted, "I really don't like parties." Surprisingly, he heard a quiet chuckle and a 'Me neither.' But before he could investigate, a new voice piped up.

"Soul!" it was Maka, carrying a plate of food.

"Ah, it's you Maka?" He asked and the girl nodded, holding out the plate a bit to show him.

"Yeah. So, don't you want to try these delicious foods?" She asked, setting the plate down and leaning on the balcony railing.

"I hate waiting to get food, and I can't eat well while standing..." Soul stated, the mysterious voice momentarily forgotten. He would deal with it when Maka left.

"What a waste." The girl stated.

"Hmph, then give me your plate." Soul said, pointing at it. Maka held it away from him with a shout of, 'No way!' And he responded with, "Selfish."

Then suddenly, Maka said, "Say Soul...is there something worrying you?"

"Ah?! Why would you ask that?!" Right away Soul remembered the voice he'd heard. He couldn't mention it though, Maka would worry. Besides, he wasn't sure he had actually heard anything yet. It could have been his imagination.

She offered him a reassuring smile, "You can talk about it if you want!"

"There's nothing to talk about..." He argued back. When she sent a scathing, wholely unconvinced glare, he sputtered out, "Wh-what?"

"Am I really that undependable of a partner?" She questioned, and he couldn't help but laugh. Apparently the other voice from earlier found it funny too. Or maybe that really was his imagination, since Maka hadn't heard it.

"Gyahaha! What's the matter with you?" He asked, loudly. Maka pouted angrily for a second and then chose to smack him for that. Then, doing a total flip, she was staring into space, looking back towards the party. Soul took the chance to sink to the floor.

Then, seemingly out of the blue, his Meister shouted, "Hey! You wanna dance?" Now she leaned over to see his face. A big grin stretched across his face, because seriously, what was with her today? Maka was acting pretty funny. However, his smile dropped into a grimace as he realized what she said.

"Ugh! No way, I hate that!"

"That's okay, I know you dance well. You can take the lead." The blonde girl argued, hands on her hips. "Besides, dancing is like adjusting 'soul waves' so it'll be alright." She grabbed Soul's arm and tried to tug him to his feet, but he remained on the ground.

Before Soul could reply though, a red haired man stepped out on the balcony and shouted "Wait!" They both looked up at the man, however Soul caught a flash of white in the corner of his eye. But the man he knew as Spirit, his Meister's father, grabbed his attention again when he made an overly exaggerated dancer pose and shouted, "Dance with Daddy!"

"No way." Maka deadpanned and again he heard that quiet laugh. Risking a glance upwards, Soul spotted the cloaked figure on the rooftop. The long white scarf was pulled up and gripped tightly in one hand, the other covering his mouth. His eye were red like Soul's own, but they seemed to glow faintly in the dark. He wasn't sure why the guy was there, but he couldn't let Maka get hurt because of him.

Soul grabbed Maka's shoulders and pushed her towards her father. "That's perfect! Physical contact is important. Go dance."

"Wha- wait!" Maka tried to argue, but her father excitedly grabbed her hand and began to drag her away.

"Soul's right! Let's go, let's go Maka~!"

"Soul! Watch my plate!" The girl called over her shoulder.

Soul sighed as he watched her go. "Watch her food...she really is a glutton..." He cast a quick glance to the boy on the roof, who seemed to have inched a bit closer to the edge, and turned to the plate. "Ah? She doesn't like raw fish, so why did she take salmon?" He fell quiet for a moment, mind drifting to Maka's behavior. "Ah, I understand...you didn't have to do that idiot. Thanks."

Now that that was solved he was reminded of the red eyed stranger. He didn't usually care much for Shibusen's rumor mill, but after learning his friends had also encountered the stranger he and Maka met...he just wanted to know a bit more. And he did learn. The guy was known to fight pre-kishins and seemed to be everywhere at once. He tried to avoid DWMA students and he'd heard the boy expressed a fear of some of the weapons he'd met, but nobody knew why. Even Shinigami had taken an interest in the stranger, or so they say.

And now the stranger was here. What he was doing on the roof was lost on Soul, but so far he hadn't tried anything. Plus he seemed to be fighting the same things they were. Maybe he'd finally worked up the nerve to come here? But that didn't explain why he was _on the roof_. Well, the guy was probably waiting for him to leave so he could come down so...

Taking the plate of food and walking just out of sight, Soul leaned against the wall. A few minutes of waiting and his patience was rewarded with a dull thud from the empty balcony. Turning to face the stranger who had his back turned to him, Soul spoke up, "Hey stranger, finally felt like joining the party?" Almost immediately the guy jumped a foot in the air, spinning to face him only to slip on one of the long scarves he'd let fall. Soul winced as he watched the older boy land back first on the railing. "Geez, calm down buddy. I'm not gonna hurt you, even if you were spying on my Meister and me. What was with that anyway?"

From the moment the albino first spoke to him, Asura was utterly horrified. Someone saw him. Someone _saw_ him. He shied away from the boy when he took a step closer, mind jumping to the worst possible scenarios as usual. What if he was in the wrong place? What if this boy tried to hurt him? He had to remind himself to breathe. There was no way this kid would hurt him, he worked for his father so he wouldn't dare, right? But he doesn't know... And what if...what if...

' _What if father doesn't care? What if he was happy I was gone?'_ Asura squeaked in fear, scared by the pale boy when he came closer still. His back pressed against the railing in and attempt to get away, and when that failed he curled in on himself, bringing his knees to his chest and wrapping the cloak around him. There was a shuffling sound in front of him and he risked a glance at it. The other boy had sat down cross-legged and set the plate in his lap.

"Wow, you okay? You're shaking. Sorry for scaring you, it wasn't very cool to do." Soul was genuinely concerned about him, and it showed in his voice. "Um, I'm Soul. What's your name?"

Eyeing the teen warily, Asura mumbled his named under his breath so all Soul caught was a quiet, "...Asu..." Still the boy smiled.

"Asu?" When the other nodded, his grin widened. "Cool, cool. It's a nice name. Say, you hungry? My partner brought me this and it's good. I don't mind sharing though, you look hungry." Soul held the plate out and watched as the strange boy reached out cautiously and took it from him. He seemed to inspect it closely for a few moments before he uncurled himself and set the plate in his own lap.

The shinigami boy ate slowly, not entirely trusting the other but highly doubting that it was poisoned since the albino was just eating it too. And before him was that other girl. "Thank you..." They stayed that way with Soul chatting about this and that while Asura nodded politely. Slowly he found himself relaxing and when Soul announced that he had to go find his Meister, Asura figured he could follow. If Soul had turned out to be okay, surely this 'Maka' girl would be a decent person too? He hoped so, because then he wouldn't have to be as scared.

He tried to be sure to stick close to Soul, but as soon as he set foot inside, he saw the one person he was looking for. Shinigami, standing there above everyone on a platform. Asura almost didn't realize it was his father at first, the cloak he wore now was less jagged than his old one and the old mask was replaced by a simple and - dare he say?- childish one. He was chatting with a couple people, who he assumed were teachers here and even his voice held a more playful tone. It was shocking to say the least and the boy found himself stuck staring for a long while.

When he finally came back to his senses, all of his anxieties he'd been trying to ignore slammed into him again. What if Shinigami was mad at him? What if he was disappointed that he was captured? He'd failed to stop the rising Kishin. What if Shinigami decided he was to blame? Would he be imprisoned? Tortured? Killed?! What if he was sent away? What if, what if, what if!

A shout ripped him from his thoughts before he could entirely break down. "STEIN! QUICK! GET OUT OF HERE!" Turning towards the sound, Asura spotted the albino boy with the blonde girl from earlier.

Quietly, he murmured, "Soul..." He followed the two to where others were gathering and among them were the blue haired boy who claimed he'd surpass God and his little brother. The blue haired boy looked the most concerned for the man who'd arrived injured. It was the blue skin that tipped Asura off to the fact that the man was a zombie. He carefully skirted around the group closer to Soul, because that was the person he sort of encountered earlier and the one he felt even remotely calm around.

There was a man too, in a white coat, who was checking over the zombie. He suddenly swung around and said, "Where's Medusa?!" The words made Asura's blood run cold. He knew Medusa, he fought her, hell, he'd fought all the Gorgon sisters at some point he was sure. If she was here...oh God, what was going on?! He quickened his pace as three new souls made themselves known, two witches and one immortal with a witchy feel to their soul.

He came up behind Soul as the ground shook and the air became saturated with the heavy feel of strong magic. "What's happening?!" The albino shouted.

"What's going on?" His partner said at the same time. The man in the white coat spoke up.

"Space is being deformed! They mean to trap us!" Oh...oh no. No, no, no, no, no! Trapped? Asura didn't like the sound of that. He'd rather fight Medusa powerless as he was than be trapped again!

"I'M GOING!" The zombie shouted, the knife in his hand transforming into something Asura didn't get to see.

In a panic he rushed forward, hoping maybe Soul knew what was wrong. "S-soul?!" The boy's head whipped around at the sound of the familiar, panicked voice.

"Asu! Wha-?!"

"COMPULSIVE BURIAL!"

The ground disappeared under Soul's feet as a stone coffin rose from the ground. Frightened by the sudden change, the albino reach out to grab something, anything to stop his fall. His hand met cloth but the body attached to it toppled over at the sudden change in gravity.

The last thing Asura registered before he was free falling as the spell completed, was a large, white gloved hand reaching out to catch him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Yo, sorry if I make any weird spelling mistakes or something. I write this on mobile so sometimes it doesn't save right.**

* * *

Asura had surprisingly caught himself as he fell, arms and legs splayed out against the walls of the rectangular hole he'd been dragged into. His hands and feet hurt from being used to skid to a stop before he crashed to the ground below. He was glad he did though, because Soul was right underneath him and he didn't want to fall and hurt the younger boy. So he stayed like that despite the strain it put on his body until the boy stood up and moved out of his way.

Soul, however, was extremely confused. He knew that he'd grabbed something, no _someone,_ before his fall. The albino was fairly sure he knew who it was too, so once he was sitting he looked around him. The boy who called himself Asu was nowhere to be seen, and his confusion increased. He heard Patty laugh and Liz complain. Kid and Black Star were already on their feet so he got to his own. Maka too was trying to stand. "Aie, aie...Anyway, we're all safe, right?"

"1, 2...no, 8?!" Kidd exclaimed, looking alarmed. "I sense eight witches and a demon sword!" It was then that a loud sound rang through the school, startling everyone, Asura included. His foot slipped up and he scrambled to regain his balance, knocking loose some stones that fell onto the albino's head.

While Maka asked what was happening, Soul tilted his head back to look up. His eyes widened slightly as he stared dumbfounded back the way he'd escaped. Glowing red eyes stared right back at him and the other offered a strained smile, so Soul shrugged and mouthed, 'What the fuck Asu?'. Suddenly, Maka was beside him. "Soul what are you..." She trailed off, staring at Asura with the same expression.

Stein, who was about to answer Maka, came over as well curious as to what caught his students attention. He was met with the same sight, but only raised an eyebrow before turning to the two. The rest were gathered, curious as well. "You know he's probably waiting for you guys to move so he can come down." Maka practically jumped out of the way at that, while Soul and Stein took a couple steps back.

Now that he'd been seen, and now that he had room to land, Asura dropped down. He landed in a crouch with one hand on the hood and the cloak and scarves settling around him. The teacher was quick to grab his arm in an iron grip and yank the startled boy to his feet. The shinigami sqeaked in fear and tried to twist his arm free immediately, but he only managed to hurt himself so he gave up. It would probably be easier to listen to what the man said for now.

Soul, though, disagreed. "Hey! Stein-sensei! Let him go, he didn't do anything!"

"No can do Soul. This boy's suspicious. Don't you think it's strange that the night the witches attack us, he shows up here and he's followed the people who escaped?" Soul was silent for a minute before the boy spoke up.

"A-actually...Um, Soul dragged me down...I just wanted to meet his partner he told me about."

Maka glanced at her weapon at that, but he seemed to be avoiding looking at her. Then Stein asked, "How did you get in then? You certainly didn't come through the front door."

"...the roof."

"And what were you doing on the roof?"

"Trying to get inside...?"

For a moment Stein deadpanned at the short answers he was getting. Then he shook his head and asked, "Why were trying to get inside?"

"...to find father..." Asura answered, weakly attempting to pull his arm free again. "Please...I'm no enemy. I've fought the Gorgon sisters before...I-I...I'll help? Just tell me what's happening." Stein considered it for a moment before the boy added, "We don't have much time..."

With a sigh, the scientist relented. "Fine, but make one wrong move and you're dead." Then he let go of the boy and Soul was quick to check if he was okay. "Now then everyone, listen carefully!" All of them were quick to respond, each with varying expressions and a sharp nod.

"The 'Kishin of the first generation', completely insane, is resting in Shibusen's underground. Our good doctor, who is the witch Medusa and as that boy mentioned one of the infamous Gorgon sisters, wants to resurrect it." The man explained.

Asura found himself frozen in place now. The Kishin...did they mean...Vajra? Oh god, oh no, oh no no, no, no, No! He vaguely registered shouts of alarm and, oh god it's hard to breathe. But he couldn't focus on that. Only that Vajra was here, he was _here._ They were supposed to stop him from reviving, but they were going to fail and Vajra would be back and he'd see him and he'd hurt him and he'd never see the sun again and-

Something hard landed across his face and it took a second to realize that the teacher had hit him. He carefully brought his shaky hand to his stinging cheek and leaned away every so slightly. Behind the man, Soul and his friends were watching him with varying degrees of concern or worry. "Good to have you back. Listen, I know this is scary, but you've taken on pre-kishin before and survived, so think of this as the same thing. You'll be fine, we'll protect you." The teacher's voice was cautious, almost gentle, which shocked him since the man had just slapped him.

"I-is it...true?The Kishin..." Asura watched his brother nod.

"It's to keep it locked away that my father can't leave this place." Kid stated and Asura was somewhat glad to hear it. That meant that his father hadn't actually just left him alone to rot, he had literally been incapable of looking for him.

Then Black Star chimed in, voice tinted with surprise. "What?! The master of all Shinigami can't leave? I just thought he was claustrophobic!"

"...that's not what claustrophobia is, Bushin-san...it's the fear of closed in spaces, or feeling trapped...I have it, so I'd know." Asura corrected the younger boy. "You were thinking of agoraphobia...I think. I have that too."

"Oh, thanks buddy!" The boy stated with a broad grin, and Asura ducked his head to hide the small smile he had from being thanked for such a simple thing. It felt nice.

"Anyway," Stein started, "Let's not waste the chance Sid gave us. I will guide you all to the basement entrance."

(OuO)

The entrance to the basement was dark and Asura could feel the edges of a presence inside, just on the edge of his limited soul perception. No one spoke for a moment, and then it was Stein. "This is the entrance to the basement. The enemy is strong, so from here on out, be ready to face death. You can still leave right now...Are you ready to face your fears? Do you want to follow me or not? That's for your souls to decide."

Asura had decided that he was glad that the others had taken some time to change from their formal wear, not that it made a difference with his brother he noticed. The boy went from one suit to another. But they faced their teacher and Maka exclaimed, "Let's go!" Asura smiled a bit, even more happy to not be alone with the scientist.

Stein smiled, "Hehehe! Good!"

* * *

Shinigami could still remember the days after he'd sealed the Kishin away. The days he spent trying to come to terms with the fact that he would never see his little boy again. The guilt from daring to think his son would ever try to become a Kishin. Knowing he'd failed to save him. The Gallows Manor, once home to his warriors and his son, slowly emptied until it was only him left. It was too quiet after that.

Sometimes the shade would think he heard Asura's quiet laugh, or the sound of feet on the cold stone floors. Sometimes he would pass by his son's empty room and hear quiet sniffles, like when Asura first got his own room and he was terrified of being alone in the dark. Sometimes he'd hear Vajra too, chatting animatedly to his Meister about something. Sometimes, it would be one of Asura's strange jokes or a snappy comment he made when he felt brave. It was after he was walking through the door one day and thought he'd seen Asura sitting on the stairs in the foyer waiting for him to return that he stopped going home altogether. The mansion was left to gather dust.

He only went back once a year and he never cleaned it, only Asura's room. The boy wouldn't have liked the mess and he didn't want to leave his son's presents in a messy place. It wasn't until he'd had Kid that he'd actually cleaned the whole place again, Spirit had complained quite loudly about the state of his home and how he couldn't raise a child in such a dusty mess. The nice thing about being the boss, was that he was able to order the Death Scythes to help him clean. They didn't touch Asura's room though, he wouldn't let them.

He remembered cleaning out a few vases and finding odd little trinkets. He'd found the smoothest rock he'd ever seen in one, and a worn through braided bracelet. Later he'd found a white button that looked like it came from Excalibur's clothes. The Death Scythes were confused when he ordered them to pile anything they found hidden on the dining room table, but did so anyways and he put it all into a few boxes that he'd left in Asura's room. He knew it was his son's, the boy hid things he liked in fear of people taking them from him.

With Kid living in the Manor, balance was somewhat restored, and Shinigami felt a little better. Sure sometimes he'd mistake the little boy for his older brother, but it was okay. He still spent a lot of time away from home. And then, the rumors started pouring in of the mystery boy, and everything was _wrong_ again and he wanted it to go back to being right. But it wouldn't be right until he knew if the boy was Asura.

He never expected to see him at the anniversary party, but the minute the shade caught a glimpse of the old black cloak, _his_ old cloak, he knew. He had excused himself and carefully made his way through the crowds to his long lost son, who was trailing after Soul Eater. The boy's soul didn't feel right, like it had a rudimentary version of the witches 'Soul Protect'. It felt human enough to glance over at first, but if one focused, they could see something was off.

And when he realized his son, now frightened by the witches actions, was within range of Sid's resonance he quickened his pace. He had reached out to pull him back, but the boy toppled forwards, thrown of balance when one of the falling students grabbed him in an attempt to stop their own fall. Then Asura was falling. His son had looked back up for just a second and he had seen the red eyes, wide with terror, and the two Lines of Sanzu in his hair that for some reason looked liked eyes.

And then he was gone. Asura had, quite literally, just slipped through his fingers. All Shinigami could do for a long while was stare down at his empty hands. When he came back to his senses, he could see his students trying to escape, and Sid watching him with a curious look. He tried to get out for a short while, but stopped quickly. "Iya? I give up, I give up...This thing has no weakness."

"Shinigami-sama! He heard one of the kids shout. Turning, he saw Kilik, a Meister in Stein's class carrying a mirror. " Here! At least you can escape from here please!"

"A mirror?" He shook his head, watching the boys face drop. "Unfortunately, that's impossible... This space is isolated from the rest of the world. Though this sort of high level magic can only be maintained for an hour or so."

Kilik's shoulders sagged and he muttered, "I...I see..."

"I'm sorry."

The boy sat down cross-legged and threw his hat on the ground angrily. "Shit! Death City was so peaceful, nobody cared about anything!" Next to Kilik sat a girl with pink hair, who nodded in agreement.

"Okay, okay." Shinigami said, stooping down low to pick up the hat. "But that's a good thing no? It means the world is fine." He carefully put the hat back on the boys head then and added, "That's why it's important we keep that peace." To himself he thought, ' _The rest depends on them. Please, keep Asura safe until I can get free.'_

(OuO)

Sid had collapsed against the wall with a sigh. He'd accidentally gotten Shibusen's mystery kid involved as well, and to top it off, Shinigami had tried to grab the kid to stop his fall. He wondered if the shade knew something about that kid that they didn't. The shade had this feeling of hopelessness about him when he'd failed to catch the boy. The way his boss had stood stalk still for a long time after that just staring at his hands...it was concerning to say the least. Speaking of Shinigami, he had come over to him. "Are you alright Sid?"

"Yes..." He glanced up at his boss, then back to the ground. "I'm sorry... I wish I could have helped you escape too, but this space and this injury..." Sid shook his head. "No, those are just excuses! Please forget what I've said!"

However Shinigami reassured him. "No, no...it's alright. You made the best choice in this situation. Besides, this body can't really handle heroic acts like that."

"This body was dead once," Sid quipped back.

"One more reason then." And they were silent for a while before Shinigami said, "So...Medusa-sensei was a witch..."

"...'soul protect'. Everything will be decided there then." The shade nodded in agreement, and he felt a prick of worry about his eldest again. He hoped Asura would be alright. It was then they noticed that Kilik had approached them again.

"Shinigami-sama..." The boy began, the hesitant look being replaced by a determined one. "Is there no technique that can counter a witch's 'soul protect'?"

"Kilik..."

"Soul Protect. Made by souls, we shouldn't be able to touch it...then, even with their efforts, the witches shouldn't be able to penetrate it, isn't that right?" The boy asked.

Shinigami sighed. "Our battle with the witches started centuries ago... They would always make new spells or curses and to counter that, we need new meisters and weapons. And it's to rival that ability that new techs have been born with the ability to sense souls." The shade explained.

"But then...they are still opposing the 'Soul Protect '. So...we need a new technique." Kilik reasoned.

It was then that Sid spoke up, " A new technique...the Kishin will transform. That leaves no other choice."

Kilik only seemed confused. "The Kishin will transform?"

"Hmm." Shinigami knew this day would eventually come. The day he'd have to tell everyone his biggest secret...or one of them. Might as well go all out now that he knew Asura was alive. He was glad he'd spoke to Kid about this already, it would be easier to keep his cool this time. "I suppose it's useless to hide it now. Eventually what's hidden must be revealed..."

Clapping his hands together, Shinigami loudly exclaimed, "Good, good! Everyone, your attention please!" A murmur spread through the crowd at this, the students curious about what the shade had to say. "There's a Kishin in Shibusen's basement!"

Sid's jaw dropped, obviously floored by the blunt statement. "That's...that's too short..." Shinigami didn't seem to hear him though, as he continued.

"This was from long before Shibusen. There was a man called 'Vajra' and this is his story...Vajra was a human, and a weapon who had once served under me as a warrior. He dressed in a red blazer and black pants, mostly to match his Meister. He was an outwardly friendly person, but he carefully guarded his soul from all but one. His Meister Asura."

"Asura?" One of the kids questioned.

Shinigami nodded. "Yes...you see, Asura was the reason I never noticed Vajra's descent into Madness. Asura was a careful individual, who never seemed to let people close. The only exception to this was Vajra. And Asura was terrified of everything and everyone, his fears caused him to slowly spiral out of control. He'd stopped using Vajra in missions and would take out the enemy on his own. It all seemed to be without reason."

"As it turned out, Asura had been rightfully afraid of using Vajra. He'd never shared his worries but we learned of Vajra's unusual behavior only after it was too late. It seems Vajra had become obsessed with his meister, manipulating Asura into believing we were all against him. That only he could be trusted. One day, I made the mistake of banning Asura and Vajra from missions because of Asura's recklessness. I left with the others to fight, and when we returned the two had vanished without a trace."

"From then on we began getting reports of a man matching Asura's description, but when I finally hunted him down, the culprit turned out to be Vajra. He'd killed his Meister, or so I'd believed for a long time. And when he'd spoke, it was with this deranged obsessive tone, especially when he spoke of Asura."

"Um, excuse me sir!" Someone called out. "Why would he pretend to be Asura?"

The shade shrugged. "I can't say for sure, back then, it seemed rather senseless. Now though, I believe that, instead of killing his Meister, Vajra imprisoned him. Then, by impersonating him, he forced Asura to stay, making him fear being killed because we thought he was a Kishin. And to keep us from searching, he made us believe he had killed Asura. In fact, when we fought he'd tried taunting me by bringing up my failure to protect Asura, yet he'd never explicitly stated that Asura had died. Because I couldn't kill Vajra, as becoming a Kishin made that difficult, I had to seal him away."

"To this day I wonder what drove Vajra's obsession. A twisted sense of duty maybe? Love? The desire to have someone depend on him? If I'm honest, I don't want to know."

"Oh...but then, Asura would be dead now though, wouldn't he?" It was Kilik who'd asked this. "I mean, he was human so it's within reason."

Shinigami shook his head. "I never said Asura was human, now did I? I told you Vajra was human. And I now know for a fact that Asura is alive. Far from well, but we can fix that."

"Um, sir?" Kim asked, thinking back to the boy she'd met the previous day, things were falling into place. The sudden appearances around the world, being able to fight off pre-kishin single-handedly, the way the teachers would linger around groups who talked about the stranger. Shinigami had been keeping tabs on him. It almost made sense. "If Asura wasn't...er, isn't human, what is he then?"

"Huh? I didn't say?" The shade tilted his head to one side. "Sorry, sorry! My mistake! You see, Asura he...he was my son. Kiddo's older brother!" The room fell deadly silent.

* * *

Asura was doing his best to keep up with the group, but it was difficult to do. He wasn't surprised though, he had been locked away with no food and constantly suffering from some form of injury or another. Not to mention the lack of room he'd had to do anything. It still felt...bad... He felt like he was dragging them down, that he should just stop. But Stein wouldn't let him, and besides, if he couldn't help in a fight...maybe he could give them some tips on fighting Vajra? God, he hated feeling useless, it reminded him of when he was with the other warriors.

 _He was back in the Manor again, in his old room. The drapes were pulled shut and there were a few candles lit up around the room for light. A desk to one side, a bed across from that... That's where he was, curled up tight with a blanket over his shoulders and a book balanced on his knees. Across from him, Vajra sat cross-legged, his own book in his lap. They'd been like that for a while so Asura was startled by Vajra's voice._

 _"Hey Asu~" He'd started, a sad grin on his face. "I...I've been thinking."_

 _Asura's eyes had trail from his book to his partner and friend, curiously eyeing him. "Y-yes Vajra? What...?" The other boy blinked and held one finger up. Asura let him gather his thoughts._

 _"Um...I di_ _dn't know if I should say something, but I heard the other warriors talking..."_ _Vajra paused, seeming hesitant. But he continued anyway. "They were talking about you."_

 _Asura blinked and tilted his head a bit. "Oh...good? Bad?" He didn't say much, but he knew Vajra understood, he always did. Though he hoped his weapon had missed the hopeful tone when he'd said 'good'._

 _"Bad..." The dark skinned boy replied. "They said you were useless in the last battle. Too hesitant. You didn't try hard enough and they weren't sure if they should bring you to the next. They...called you weak. Pathetic. A sad excuse for a shinigami..." Asura remembered feeling his eyes water, it had always hurt to hear that the others thought so little of him even if it wasn't the first time he'd heard it. He was trying after all, couldn't they see? He couldn't help being scared though..._

 _"Oh..." It was hard to hide the quiver in his voice. He didn't dare ask if his father defended him, not after last time. Asura buried his face in his scarves, trying to hide the tears he knew were coming. Vajra shouldn't have to see him look so weak. He didn't want Vajra to agree with the others after all. It didn't help though, he knew he was shaking and he tried not to make a sound._

 _The bed shifted and he felt Vajra put an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in closer. "...hey it's okay Asu. You know I would never think of you like that. I think you're very strong you know!"_

 _Carefully lifting his face from the scarves, Asura turned to look at Vajra. His friend was smiling, but for some reason it seemed less like the usual friendly grin and more...victorious? Might be his imagination though, his paranoia was worse lately. Closing his eyes and leaning closer to his long time friend, Asura murmured a soft, "Thank you..."_

 _When Asura opened his eyes again Vajra's face was inches from his. With a mischievous grin the other boy patted his cheek softly. "No problem Asu~! You can always depend on me, my friend!"_

Asura was drawn back to reality when he heard Maka speak. "Say, Kid...how did Shinigami-sama seal the Kishin?" It took Asura a moment to realize that it was his brother whom she asked. He'd never heard his name until now and a part of him could hardly believe that his father actually named his brother 'Kid'.

"Ah? Oh, father removed all his skin and the sealed him in a bag made from it. Then he rooted himself here and used his soul and body to keep Vajra sealed away." His brother explained. When the girl gave him a questioning look, he added, "The Kishin's name is Vajra. Father told me he had somehow managed to seal his own Meister's powers and killed him...the story is disturbing, especially since he seemed really torn up over failing Asura. That was the Kishin's Meister's name."

The older shinigami felt his heart skip a beat, and a shamefully pleased smile stretch across his face. He hid it by burying his face into his scarf. It felt kind of nice to know that his father actually cared that he had disappeared, but he couldn't help feeling guilty as well. He was a horrible son, wasn't he? Letting his father think he'd died, not trying hard enough to get home, feeling glad that the man was upset about his supposed death. Yes, he decided, just the worst.

"That's...it sounds a bit excessive." Came the reply from Tsubaki as her image shone on her weapon form. Soul's form shimmered onto the blade of his scythe as well.

"I agree, couldn't he have picked something less...ya know, cruel?"

Kid sighed. "I asked him later about it. He said, at the time, he'd wanted Vajra to suffer for hurting Asura like that. Apparently this Asura person was a very cautious person who only trusted his weapon. And father told me he was his apprentice as well, so I would assume he cared about him a lot." Well, that wasn't entirely right...

Asura felt awkward listening to the others talk about him, even if they weren't aware he was Asura. And Shinigami hadn't told Kid, he'd never get over the fact his brother was named Kid, that they were brothers...did he not see him as a son? Was he really mad at him? Did this mean he'd been disowned...? Oh god, he felt sick...and dizzy and...

The boy's legs gave out and he cursed his own damn inability to keep up with a bunch of children. He sat, taking quick shaky breaths in an attempt to get enough air. ' _Damn, I'm so pathetic...I can't even run for long anymore...'_ The shadow standing over him didn't register until he'd finally caught his breath again and the burning feeling in his shaky limbs had subsided. Looking up just enough for his eyes to be visible, Asura saw Stein.

"You're not having another panic attack, are you?" The man asked, cocking his head to the side, the lighting made his glasses gleam in an unsettling way. Asura slowly shook his head, eyes glancing over the man in case he had a weapon before settling on the ground. "...what's wrong then?"

Oh god, where to start? He was tired, stressed, and scared out of his mind. There were witches trying to revive Vajra and he was stuck tagging along with the group trying to stop them. If they failed, Vajra would never let him go ever again. His father was trapped, his brother didn't know he existed, he couldn't keep up with kids! Kids who were currently staring at him, he didn't see, but he knew they were. He could feel their eyes, watching, judging...they must think he's so weak...

On top of all of it, the last wound he'd received from the Sentinels before his escape had torn open again in his run...oww, that really hurt...why hadn't that healed yet? Not all of his powers were restricted by the collar, just the most destructive ones and healing to some degree. At least it was now just a long, shallow cut across his side, but the blood leaking from the wound would definitely bother him until he took care of it.

Suddenly he felt his stomach clench up, and then he was heaving up what ever food he'd eaten. Stein simply stepped around him, crouching next to the boy and carefully rubbing his back. Ever observant, he noticed how the kid immediately tensed under the touch despite how uncharacteristically gentle he tried to be. The doctor wasn't stupid, he'd noticed how anxious the boy was. Almost to quiet to hear, the boy mumbled, "...'s the longest it stayed down..." God things weren't looking good for this kid, what the hell had happened.

Another minute of sitting and Asura pulled himself up again, silently grateful for the doctor's help steadying himself. "...I'm sorry...I won't slow you down anymore..." Pointing in the direction they were going before, he asked, "This way...?" Stein nodded and they all started running again, this time Asura would be sure to keep up and not slow them down.

It was a while later that he'd heard Black Star ask Maka, "We've been running for a while...can you sense the witches souls ahead?" The girl nodded.

"Yes, I can sense the soul protect around them."

"What? That's all? I thought that was your thing!" Black Star laughed loudly at that and Maka glared at him.

"That's really rude!" She yelled, making the ninja laugh harder.

"Ahahaha! You get angry right away." Before she could retrot, Asura felt a new soul appear in range of his perception. Maka seemed to feel it to.

"Doctor! There in the shadows...I sense a soul! ...There's no doubt about it, this obscene and horrible sensation..."

Asura stared at the girl in confusion, "I don't understand why you're being so dramatic...it's just a human soul..." He muttered this just loud enough for them all to hear. Stein glanced back with one eyebrow raised as the red haired man Asura saw earlier appeared. He had a depressed look on his face.

"An obscene and horrible sensation huh...?" He'd repeated as Maka yelled, 'dad!'.

"Well, well, you've got soul perception too? You just keep getting stranger and stranger." He said, adding, "But good job, you're right. Maka just always acts like this around this person." Asura hid his face again at the praise, though it felt nice. "And good job on escaping from the spell Spirit."

"There's no one better than me to escape from a woman!" The red haired man exclaimed. Asura decided that that was probably not a good thing.

"I never thought less coming from you." Stein replied. "But you are right on time, I was anxious as to how far I would get without a weapon. So this way?" The man nodded his head in the direction they were going and Spirit nodded. Then his gaze set on Asura, a curious look on his face.

"And the mystery kid? What's his name?" The question was met with silence and it took a moment for someone to speak.

"Huh, what is your name?" Stein asked, only for the boy to burrow deeper into his scarves to hide. Knowing he wouldn't get an answer now, the doctor shrugged. "He's not much of a talker it seems. Anyway, let's go." Spirit sighed and transformed, casting one last suspicious glace back at the boy.

"Everybody, we don't know what's waiting for us ahead, so take your weapon forms and don't change back. Remember, only one attack can take your life." Stein smiled as his students announced their understanding. Then he turned to Asura. "I'm still suspicious of you, but you've had every opportunity to try to leave or kill us so far, yet stuck with us. It will be most dangerous for you, so if you choose to go on ahead, stay close to me or my students."

Asura nodded his understanding, though he felt like he didn't have a choice. ' _You have no idea.'_


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for the reviews! I love hearing what you guys think. This took so long because I got RPG Maker and I was practicing with it**

* * *

"Hey professor," Black Star said. "He said they were waiting up ahead? Weren't they in a hurry to get to the Kishin?" He followed closely behind his teacher as he questioned him, gripping the hilt of Tsubaki's sword form tightly.

Stein barely tilted his head in the boy's direction. "No, not all of them. You see, Medusa wants to avoid a melee situation. Such a situation would cause great losses and it would be an error on her part. As they want to resurrect the Kishin, the protector of the black blood is their top priority."

"Oh..s-so, they intend to...slow us down?" Asura asked quietly. It made sense, all they had to do was stop them from reaching Vajra in time. He spoke softly to himself as he thought, unaware of the others sudden silence. "...It makes sense, Vajra is their main priority therefore so is anything helping reach their goals. And if they manage to kill us, it just makes things easier for them. Our best bet would be to split up when they try to stop us..."

"That's not a bad idea kid, but not everyone here might be on the same level as our opponents. One must be careful against so many powerful foes." Stein stated, adding strategic planning to the list of this boy's abilities. Asura nodded in understanding, trying to ignore the eyes boring into his back.

Suddenly, Black Star stopped and said, "Hey...Do you hear that?" The others stopped as well, straining to hear what ever he heard. After a moment Asura heard it, the quiet tap, tap, tapping of feet against the floor. Asura felt his heart beat faster now, straining to see or sense the enemy from the shadowed part of the hall. He slowly shuffled to the back of the group.

"I'm hearing it..." Maka said softly. Oh good, he wasn't crazy.

Kid chimed in too, saying, "Yes...Footsteps."

"Heh, they should appear soon. I wonder who it is?" Now Black Star sounded excited by the prospect of a strong opponent.

"To come against all of their enemies from the start...they must be really strong." Stein said, and Asura felt the soul before he saw the person. "And someone who can defy this many people and fight back...to the end protect only one thing. Your life. Understand?"

"Yes!" The others chorused, determined looks on their faces.

Like a switch, all the fear he felt seemed to burn off into adrenaline and he slowly altered his stance so as to not alarm the others. Medusa liked to toy with her opponents after all, so she wouldn't be expecting a full on assult the moment she revealed herself. Though maybe he should hold back a bit...just to see what she had to say and to not frighten the other people with him.

The blonde woman with her bangs twisted under her chin stepped forward, face twisted into a taunting smirk. Her black body suit was sleeveless and stopped above her knees. "A strategy meeting under the enemy's nose? I heard everything you know."

"Ah? And here I thought you were a doctor of Shibusen." Stein replied dryly.

Medusa stared at him, her grin dropping into an unamused scowl. "...You don't know when to shut up, do you?" Then the grin was back. "Oh well, can we start now?" Then the woman began to chant, moving her arms as she built up power for her first attack. Stein only spared them a glance.

"Alright everyone, listen carefully. Do not precipitate anything, wait for an opening and go." He spoke quickly to them and Asura readied himself just like the others. He was glad to see his brother seemed to be okay with the situation thus far. "Stay calm. It's coming."

Thrusting her arms forward, Medusa shouted, "VECTOR ARROW!" Hundreds of black arrows erupted from around her, all flying towards the Shibusen team.

"Vector arrow," Stein began, though it seemed more to himself than to his students."A spell that attacks multiple enemies at once. But it's power seems to have increased since I last saw it." The kids took off, attempting to speed through the great barrage, and Asura was right behind them.

"Liz! If you're afraid, go to sleep!" Kid commanded his weapon.

"I don't want to die!" Black Star shouted, adding, "Tsubaki! Cursed sword mode!"

As the two boys approached, the witch increased the attack's power. "Impudent children must be punished!" She shouted. Despite her efforts Kid made it through, using his skateboard to deflect some of the attacks.

Once safely on the other side, he shouted, "Black Star! Maka! I'm going ahead!" Black Star simply cut his way through, or Tsubaki helped, and he too had passed quickly. Asura realized that he and Maka had been too slow.

With the other two gone, Medusa's focus was now on them and her eyes widened minutely as they landed on him. Then they narrowed and her vicious grin widened. "All vectors on Maka." And the arrows targeted the blonde girl. Asura could already tell neither of them would make it through, but he still had to do something. Without a second thought he'd run ahead of the girl, right in the path of the arrows. He felt the arrows tear through his arms and legs, then a loud clang as one scraped against the metal collar.

Maka had run into his back then and he had to grab her and jump back. "Ah! Are you okay?! Y-your throat..." Asura only nodded, his throat was bleeding, but only because the collar had ripped open the skin underneath. For once he was greatful for it, because otherwise the attack would have slit his throat open. It was then that he noticed a slight surge of power, and his fingers grazed over a damaged sealing rune. He knew he'd have to save that power for later.

"Ah...yeah. Listen, we weren't going to make that..." He trailed off, wincing as he moved his arm.

"Yeah...I...um, I'm sorry. I should have noticed...now you're hurt."

"It's alright, I've had worse..." The two were quiet for a while and Medusa prepared a second barrage. It took a split second for Asura to think. Getting the meisters and weapons through was top priority, because they were better equipped to fight the witches than himself, who was unarmed and powerless. He didn't like it, but he knew what to do. Taking Maka's free hand, he wrapped a part on his scarf around it and closed her hand. "...this time, stay close to me. I will get at least you through." The girl stared at him, dumbfounded, but she broke out of it the second she heard Medusa call out her next spell.

"VECTOR ARROW! Vectors on Asura!"

"Let's go." And Asura charged forward, Maka right behind him. As they reached the central point with the arrows closing in, he grasped the piece of scarf he'd had Maka hold, knowing she still held it tight as he could feel her weight pull on it. Slamming his heel down and using Maka's own momentum, he swung the girl up and over his back. He'd hoped she would understand to let go, but instead she held on intent on bringing him with her it seemed. Asura was glad that a vector arrow sliced through the cloth at the highest point of her arch and Maka went sailing safely over the witch.

Maka landed hard on her side, dropping Soul and rolling across the floor, the piece of scarf held tightly in her other hand. Her shoulder hurt and she groaned, face scrunched up in discomfort as she moved. She pushed herself up in time to see the arrows sinking into the older boy, a pained scream tearing through the air. It felt like the time she had faced the demon swordsman and Soul had leapt in front of her, she felt helpless. Another person was hurt now because of her, and this time, there was no telling if he would survive the wounds because the only one who could have helped him was fending off attacks himself.

She could only watch in horror as the spell dispersed and he toppled forward, blood dripping from the new wounds. Maka could feel tears pricking at the corner of her eyes, though her expression was a hollow, shell-shocked look of guilt. Soul transformed as well, staring back the way they came at the body of the boy he'd just met. It wasn't fair to him that his new friend -because he already considered him one as the boy was nothing but helpful to them- had to die like this. It made his blood boil and he'd wanted to ram a scythe-arm through the witch's chest, but one look at Maka had him by her side instead, pulling her up and to her feet. He didn't try to pry the ruined scarf piece from her hand.

Asura though was glad, even as he lay in a steadily growing pool of his own blood. He'd made sure that the last weapon and Meister made it through mostly unharmed. His hand twitched a bit as he tried to test his limits. A pained keening sound could be heard from the boy as he tried to lift himself from the slippery stone floor. Maka gasped in shock, watching him struggle.

It was most important since they were the ones best suited to fight the other witches. He wasn't likely to be much of a help weaponless, as much as he despised being useless he could admit that much. He would still try though, so now all he had to do was get through himself. The weapons and their techs had to make it through, it was for the best. Vajra could not be revived.

With that thought in mind, he pushed himself up until he was on his hands and knees trying to ignore his own blood pooling under him. The wounds were already healing now that one of the sealing runes were damaged so he would be fine. "Oh? Still kicking are you? I suppose I should have expected as much, considering you used to be one of the best. Isn't that right Asura?" The shinigami only growled in response and Medusa began her chant again.

He didn't let her finish this time, launching forward halfway through the chant. Her eyes widened as he swung at her, hand flat out like a spear. Instinctively the woman sidestepped, and Asura tumbled passed her. His shoulder slammed into the ground and he groaned at the pain. But he'd made it, so that's what counted, right? But now Medusa was furious, and she had another spell charging. Asura was sure he would have been skewered if not for Stein, who had used his weapon to fling the witch backwards.

"I'd think you'd know better than to turn your back on me Medusa." The man said, glancing over his shoulder at his student and Asura. "That was stupid you know, but you did good. Thank you for keeping her safe this time." The boy only nodded and turned his attention to the scythe meister, who had come to help him up.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?! I thought...you looked...I mean..." She struggled with the words for a moment, then bowed her head in shame and offered her hand. He took it, letting her pull him to his feet. Then he heard Soul's voice from the scythe.

"Holy fuck man! How are you alive?! She turned you into a fucking _pincushion_!" Asura only tilted his head in response, not entirely sure why the boy was freaking out. He'd survived and that was what mattered right?

"...we have to catch up with the others..." He said, brushing past them with a wince. One arm wrapped around his chest and the other around his abdomen, but he pushed forward. The Meister/weapon team behind him followed closely and soon took the lead. It was obvious they were intent on shielding him this time, but he would rather they run ahead to keep up with the others.

Eventually the wounds became more bearable and he was able to move faster. It was then that Maka asked, "...so, your name is Asura? Like the guy Kid mentioned?"

"More like I am him..." He corrected.

For a moment she said nothing, stunned by the response and probably trying to figure that out. "That would make you what? Over eight hundred years old?"

"Your point?"

"You don't look like you're that old."

"The perks of immortality. Or whatever sort regeneration I have." He stated dryly, voice dripping with sarcasm. Then, realizing his own tone, he apologized. "S-sorry...I just, um..." He ducked his head to hid the embarrassed blush on his face from slipping up. Maka only smiled.

"It's fine. But this must be really stressful though, I mean it is your old partner they're trying to revive. I can't imagine if it were Soul..." Maka trailed off glancing over her shoulder at him. Seeing the growing blood stain on his shirt and the red an his pale hands. "Do...do you want me to try and wrap those?"

Asura shook his head. "No time, the next one's up ahead. I'm sure I'll be fine though..." He explained this quickly, adding, "One of your friends are up there as well." Maka stared at him, unconvinced, but hearing one of her friends were ahead she quickened her pace.

"I think I should at least..."

"No...I will be fine. It's already healing...just hurts." He stated, wincing and pressing his arms tighter around his wounds. "You need to focus on the enemies, not on me. We can't let Vajra be revived...if he even sees me..." Trailing off, Asura bit his lip. But Maka understood enough, with Asura here, they definitely could not let his partner revive. And if he somehow did, they would have to protect him from the man.

"Okay, but you need to reach Kid, okay? He needs to know who you are and you need to tell him what you know about this Vajra guy. It could really be useful." She said, gently patting his arm after falling back to walk beside him. Asura nodded, hiding a grin behind his scarf.

As they rounded a corner, they saw Black Star, ready to confront the demon sword. Asura shifted nervously and prepared to run if he had to. Meanwhile Maka called out to her friend, "Wait! Black Star!"

"Huh? Oh, you're so slow, you need to be quicker." The boy said as he glanced over his shoulder at them. When he saw the older boy he just stared at him for a few minutes. "W-woah... You okay? That's a lot of blood." The shinigami only nodded.

Maka stared at their opponent and glanced back towards Asura. This wasn't good. She knew he had to get ahead, but Maka wasn't sure if she could get both herself and the injured boy passed unharmed. Though Asura claimed to be immortal, she was sure even his body had its limits and right now he didn't look too good. "I'll fight them." Maka announced.

"What?" Black Star asked, turning to look at her.

Tsubaki too argued, saying, "But Maka...professor Stein said it's Black Star who must take care of the demon sword..."

"Geez, spill the whole plan why don't you?" Soul yelled.

"Hey, don't get in the way of my superb entrance." Maka stepped forward Soul held out in front of the ninja, leveling the swordsman with a glare. "Hey lady, don't get ahead of your self. I will kill you." She didn't respond to him, and Asura shuffled forward to see if the girl was alright. Black Star laughed then. "Ahaha! Model student Maka disobeying a teacher's orders? What, you hit that rebellious stage?"

The girl turned her glare to him before she spoke, "Shut up Black Star. Things just got a lot more complicated, and you should really handle this now. See him?" She nodded to Asura who waved one bloodied hand in greeting. Black Star waved back with one eyebrow raised. "You need to get him to Kid. He might have important information about the Kishin that could help defeat him if he revives."

"...is he okay to keep going? What the hell happened?" The blue haired boy asked. Tsubaki's image shimmered on the blade and she nodded in agreement.

Soul's reflection appear and he answered, "Medusa skewered him is what happened! Fucking hell we thought he died!" The albino was furious at the witch for what happened, and he was mad at himself as well. Asura had decided to get them through instead of going alone, and being the one who's unarmed, they should have protected him.

The older boy sighed in frustration. He was still alive -not really well, but he'd survive- and that's what mattered. So he simply said, "I told you, I am fine. I am not dead yet."

Black Star eyed the older boy curiously and maybe a bit skeptically. But then he shrugged, eager to charge off into the next battle. "Fine then, I'll leave this scene to you, don't get beaten," he said. "If it becomes too dangerous, you just need to call me and I'll come back to your rescue."

Smirking, Maka replied, "I won't need to." Then she turned to Asura, who had shrunk back and tried to hide in his scarves. "Don't worry Asura. Black Star will keep you safe from now on." The ninja nodded.

The boy offered him a cheeky grin. "Ya ready then? We're just gonna run past." And without a warning the ninja reached over, grasping his hand tightly and taking off. Asura stumbled after the other at first, having not been prepared, and then stumbled again as the boy let him go, leaping over the demon swordsman and swinging at them. It was enough of a distraction for the shinigami to slip by as well and Black Star was quick to keep him from hitting the floor. If he collapsed, Asura would not be able to guarantee he'd get up again.

"Oh no, they got passed too...I can't let them get away." The new voice startled Asura and it took a moment to realize that it was the pink haired person. He glanced back at them to see their sword raised, but Maka was already on them using Soul to fling them back just like Stein had done with Medusa. The girl smiled at him and Soul's reflection grinned reassuringly before they launched into battle

He hoped they'd be alright, they seemed like good people. The kind of people Vajra was like before...no, he couldn't think about that. He wouldn't. No, he was going to meet his brother soon. Kid, the brother that didn't know he existed. He might wait on that little revelation since now was not exactly the time to have a family reunion.

* * *

Sid watched as his boss pace around, periodically staring at the walls of their temporary prison. He'd been watching the shade for a while and as it came closer to the hour mark when the spell would end, Shinigami's pacing increased. Knowing what he did now, the undead man could understand the shade's anxiety.

"So, Shinigami-sama," he began, catching the other's attention immediately. "Does Kid know about his brother?" For a long moment Shinigami stared at him. It made him worry if he'd been in the wrong to ask, but then the god shook his head.

"No, Kid doesn't know. I never saw any reason to tell him about a brother he would never get to know or even meet. And it's not exactly something that I like to talk about either." Sid nodded, he could see the logic behind that, and sure it made sense. But then he knew Kid would not be too happy to find out he'd been running around with the brother he never even knew existed.

"He's going to be furious you know. Kid I mean," The man tacked on the last part when Shinigami gave a curious stare. The shade nodded in understanding then and looked away. Then the silence settled over them again and it lasted for a solid five minutes before Shinigami said anything else.

"...I used to mistake Kid for Asura you know. When he was little I'd accidentally called him Asura before, but he doesn't remember that. And now that he's older, he still reminds me of his brother. They're a lot alike and yet so different. I do hope they get along and like each other." Shinigami said, talking slightly quieter than he had been.

"But I worry more about Asura. He's a very anxious and easily scared boy and his paranoia sometimes gets the best of him. One mistake and he might never speak to you again." The shade explained with a sigh. He added, "It makes things all the more difficult you know?"

"Can't say I do, but I guess I kind of get it." Sid stated. Then, deciding to change the subject, the man asked, "So...what were you planning to do with him once this whole mess was resolved? I doubt he would appreciate being kept under observation."

Shinigami shrugged. In all honesty he was just going to wing it and hope for the best, but it would do good to have a better plan than that. So after a moment of silence, he said, "That would be for the best though. It's been so long since I've seen him, I can't guarantee that he's alright. But I would give him more freedom. Let him wander around the school as he likes and do other things like that. And then he can go home once we know he'll be alright. I bet he'd like to be somewhere more familiar."

The shade only got a nod in response and quickly resumed his pacing. While the talk was a nice little distraction he still couldn't settle down. He was both excited and anxious to see Asura again, but also worried that the worst possible scenario would happen. He had no doubt that Vajra would simply take Asura again if he saw him. And Shinigami couldn't let that happen. Not again.

* * *

 **Next up:** **Asura meets his brother and everyone hallucinates.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yo sorry this took so long. I had a lot to do since the last update. 3 birthdays and holidays came up. I can't promise weekly updates anymore either, but I will try to have a consistent posting schedule.**

* * *

As Kid rode along ahead of all the others, he looked around him. The area was in total ruin, with broken walls and fallen pillars and unidentifiable piles of stone. It was a relief to have a somewhat clear path ahead of him, however it did little to help with the stress he felt weighing down on him. It made the air feel heavier and distorted his thoughts ever so slightly.

Or, wait...the air did feel heavier, weighed down by the slightest increase of Madness that he could sense now. The feeling was uncomfortable at best and Kid shivered slightly before saying, "I can sense the Kishin's Madness..." He really was just talking to himself in an attempt to calm himself. It didn't work though and soon he swore he saw a shadowy figure ahead, and a thousand arms reaching out to pull him into the Madness.

A three eyed symbol that looked familiar to him flashed in front of his eyes and the air filled with red static. Then it was gone as quick as it came and the dark figure was back, only this time it was grinning a twisted white grin. Kid could feel his own breathing pick up and sweat start to drip down his face, but he couldn't get himself to look away. If he looked away the shadow would...would what? It was just a hallucination caused by the Madness, right? If anything, the shadow's grin widened and a calm, smooth voice echoed from all around, _"Don't be scared my old friend. I will protect you."_

"KID!" The boy jumped at the sudden shout that jolted him from the illusion and he glanced down at both of his weapons. Their reflections were looking up at him, Liz concerned and Patty a mix of concerned and curious. "Kid?" Patty asked, her concern winning out.

Liz also glanced up at him and asked, "Are you alright?"

Kid didn't answer for a moment, too busy wiping the sweat from his face and getting his breathing back to normal. He knew he wanted to say that, no, he wasn't alright. That what he'd seen was only half as scary as what he'd heard and felt. The oppressive, possessiveness he'd felt and the words that would normally make one feel safe but it sounded wrong and...he felt bad. He felt sorry for the Kishin's Meister if this was what he had to deal with, hell, the guy probably had seen worse from his partner.

"Kid...?" Liz asked again, and this time he actually answered.

"I..I'm fine. I've just never been this stressed before..." He lied, kicking his skateboard back into motion.

"You sure? I mean, um, you didn't look to good a little bit ago." His weapon persisted. Patty even nodded along in agreement.

"Yeah! You looked like you were gonna be sick!" The younger sister added. Kid just sighed and shook his head, not wanting to answer them. After they stopped the Kishin's revival he would tell them about what he'd seen.

"I'll tell you later, I promise. But right now we have to catch up to the witch with the black blood." He said, shivering again at the feel of Madness in the air. For a little while the weapons were quiet and it was beginning to make Kid nervous. The boy had to suppress a sigh of relief when Liz decided to speak up again.

"So Kid, if only the first Kishin arrived here then how come you can sense him?" The girl asked. The shinigami had to think about it but finally decided on what to say.

"To put it simply, or as simply as I can, father had flayed him alive and drained the blood from his body. Then he sealed Vajra's remains and his soul inside the bag fashioned from his skin. He only did so because the Kishin could not be killed, so he still has a soul. Does that make sense?" Kid explained.

"Yup~!" Patty chirped, though Kid wasn't entirely sure she did understand.

"Sure," Liz stated, "About as much sense as everything else in the world. And if his blood was drained, I guess the black blood is meant to replace it?"

"Probably." He stated, he was ready to add on to that, but suddenly Patty shouted.

"Kid! Heat source from behind!" Quickly, the shinigami swerved to the side, just in time to dodge the scorching blast aimed for his back. Kid lost his balance and landed hard on the ground, rolling to a stop. He gripped his weapons tightly so he wouldn't drop them, it would be bad if he lost them in this fight. The attack barely missed him as it tore its way mercilessly through the rubble in its path, obliterating everything. Liz and Patty both yelled, startled and worried they asked if he was okay.

Pushing himself up off the ground, Kid grimaced, but still answered his concerned partners. "I'm fine, but..." He looked around for a moment, then to himself said, "An attack from that distance? Where did it even come from?" Through the thick smoke, the boy could make out a shadowy figure. For a second, he thought he was hallucinating again, that it was the shadow he'd seen. But then he could see the obvious differences, specifically the more beastly figure like the claws on it's hands, the wolfish ears, the mane of fur...yes, it wasn't a hallucination. And soon enough the smoke had cleared almost entirely, revealing the the werewolf Free, with smoke streaming from his mouth. "Magic Canon."

With the appearance of the immortal, Kid quickly got to his feet. "...Is he really immortal? Hm, I'm an idiot...I was too focused on the Kishin's Madness, I almost got us hit." Taking a deep breath in an attempt to stay calm, he loosened his grip on his weapons to something more comfortable. He hadn't even realized he was holding onto them so tightly. Kid brought both his weapons up and fired at the wolf-man, yet the shots didn't seem to do any damage at all.

"Useless." Free said with a triumphant grin, made more unnerving by his inhuman features.

Kid frown in response, narrowing his eyes and glaring at the other. _'...An immortal body...so space and time don't effect him? At any rate, I have only one chance to defeat him. I've got to take it...'_ Squaring his shoulders, the boy was ready to try again. _'Until now, I was completely overpowered...I must be faster! When I succeed, he won't be able to over power me again!'_

With a slight growl, Free launched forward, claws splayed to rip and tear as he shouted, " **This is the end!** " Kid leaped back to avoid the attack coming at him, but one foot had barely touched the ground before the wolf-man was charging him again with another swipe. This time he had to flip backwards to get away, though he fired another round in mid air that still did nothing. Kid wasn't stupid, he knew the man had caught on to his plan already and was trying to force him to slow down. "I am immortal." Once he landed, he jumped back a few more times to put some distance between them.

"In that case...Liz! Patty!" The twin pistols glowed and expanded, the light crawling a bit up kids arms until both became cannons, and three spikes formed along each arm. "Soul Resonance: Executor mode." Kid aimed both cannons at the wolf-man.

"Resonance is stable...Noise at 1.8%..." The girls supplied helpfully. "Feedback in 5...4...3...2..."

Then Patty sang out, "One shoot, one~!"

"Death Cannon." The blast tore through the area to the wolf-man, obliterating everything in it's way. A thick black cloud was left in its' wake and the shinigami let out a sigh of relief when nothing seemed to move. He did _not_ like immortals at all. "...All of this for you." Kid muttered as the weapons returned to their normal forms. But seemingly from nowhere, Free appeared in front of him. He quickly forced back a surprised Kid and put the boy on the defensive.

He put distance between the two of them as quickly as possible, anxiously watching Free in hopes of predicting the werewolf's next move. But the longer nothing happened, the more doubts and fears began to pile up. Kid could feel his hands shaking and breath quicken as his eyes darted about, landing on two halves of a broken pillar and sending his thoughts into overdrive as he tried to piece it together. _'How...how does it fit together...'_

Kid's hand twitched as he glanced at the rubble again, and finally pointed at the pieces while saying, "Ah, yes! That's it! This pillar here and that one there form a bigger pillar! And..and that wall there came down...yes! Beautiful!" The boy threw a cautious glance back at the wolf man who watched him curiously, head tilted and ears up like he'd see some dogs do before. The innocuous action did little to help calm his nerves though, and he sank to his knees.

"I'm so wrong...now is not the time to think about this..." Kid took a deep breath then, but he was still sweating nervously and shivering. "But no...I can't seem to think normally..."

"Hey! C'mon Kid, everything's fine. Concentrate!" Liz told him, trying to get him to calm down. Patty also chimed in with a cheerful, 'yeah!'. It didn't seem to work though, even if Kid nodded and stood up again, he was still twitchy and anxious.

"Assembling puzzles, hah! I like that too! Prefer it actually." Free stated, and for a second Kid wondered if he was mocking him. To his surprise, the man seemed genuine in the statement that was accompanied by a fanged grin. Wow, he must be making things really awkward if the enemy was trying to reassure him.

"Shit...I'm so dumb..." The boy once again tried to focus on his opponent. Instead though, his thoughts drifted to a broken statue he saw. ' _Shit..where...where is the missing piece of that statue...but wait... it's nose..wait, shut up! Idiot!'_

"No, stop...this pillar...impossible...this part...this type..." Kid started sweating and his hands shook hard enough to rattle his weapons. A pulse of concern hit him from Liz as he slowly broke down over ruins, of all things. It was probably the mumbling that did it. But then Kid felt... something. A calming feeling that seemed to hit him from nowhere. At first he'd thought it was Liz or Patty, or maybe both. It took a moment to occur to him that it wasn't them, he knew their wavelengths and that didn't feel like theirs. It was a light and almost playful feeling, yet at the same time there was something darker, heavier...sinister. So who...?

Kid physically flinched away from the feeling, anxiety skyrocketing as the same voice from before echoed in his head. " _It's alright my friend, you need to breathe. There is no need to panic."_ Liz was quick to ask what was wrong, but of course Kid just brushed her off with the promise to explain later. Now he was sure that somehow the Kishin was mistaking him for his dead partner. It explained why the voice referred to him as a friend at least.

It didn't make him feel any better though, in fact, Kid could think of a few problems it could cause. He didn't need to be hearing this voice on top of the stress from facing an immortal and the ruins that should fit together just fine but _don't_. He couldn't figure out _why_. Why was it so hard to think? Why couldn't he figure it out? The pillars, the statues, the walls, the immortal, the voice...it was _wrong_ , so very wrong and he couldn't make it right. He _wanted_ to make it right.

Kid tucked Liz under one arm and held his free hand to his head, letting in a high pitched whine. There was this ringing in his ears that wouldn't stop now. " _Hahaha! What's the matter? Aren't you happy? We'll see each other again soon!"_

"K-kid?! What's wrong?" Liz asked, startled by the sudden noise.

 _"Asura...?"_

"Sis...what's wrong with Kid?" Patty asked her sister, worried about the boy. Sure she'd seen Kid freak out before, but this wasn't the same.

"I don't know Patty...maybe it's the Kishin's Madness." Liz replied. "I mean, he's already confusing himself so the Madness might be making him go crazy, little by little. If thats the case-"

 _"Relax my friend, or you'll hurt yourself."_

"Shut up!" Kid shouted, and immediately Liz bristled.

" _Excuse me?!_ " The girl shouted angrily, but she tried to brush it off when her Meister whined again.

* * *

Asura followed along behind Black Star, doing his best to keep up with the kid. He would admit that the boy's speed was impressive, especially for a human his age. Up ahead he could feel his brother and the boy's weapons, but they didn't seem to be going anywhere. Maybe they'd hit some kind of block? It wasn't an enemy, or one he could sense, that much he was sure of.

The boy didn't really ask him any questions, too keen on getting ahead, but he did keep glancing back to be sure Asura was still there. His weapon was the one to ask his name, and they started questioning him like Maka and Soul did before. So he sighed and said, "I would rather not repeat myself three times, so you will have to wait until we reach m...y-your friend." The last part was hastily corrected, and for a brief moment, he was afraid that they'd caught his slip up.

Black Star huffed in frustration on being denied an answer, but quickly got over it. They could hear some kind of ruckus ahead after all, and that probably meant something was going on. However, before bolting off into the next area, Black Star stopped and turned around. "Okay, listen, you stay here. Don't interfere with my fight!"

Asura just blinked and tilted his head, so Tsubaki spoke up her image on the small blade. "Dont worry, we'll be back once it's safe. I don't think you should fight again so soon after..." Her gaze flickered down to his ruined shirt, and he quickly pulled the cloak tightly to hide it.

"Wait..."

"Alright! Let's go Tsubaki!" The ninja shouted, throwing one fist into the air and taking off towards the sounds. Asura reached out to him but the boy was gone, leaving him alone in the hall. He followed after them though, because there didn't seem to be an enemy with his brother. He couldn't sense one anyway.

So he followed and soon he could feel the air weighing down with Madness so thick he felt like gagging. It was a familiar feeling, though in no way comforting. His own Madness wavelength spiked suddenly and all he felt was shear terror. Shaking and gasping, folding his arms tightly around his body as the Madness induced fear slowly subsided to a more bearable flow. It was then that he'd realized it acted as a barrier between Vajra's Madness, rejecting the foreign feeling as if it were a disease.

But it was a double edged sword, he figured. His own Madness protected him from Vajra's, but it weighed heavy on his mind, clawing for more control he wasn't willing to give. Asura was scared of going mad, scared of becoming like Vajra. If he did, he'd be hated and hunted and probably killed and he didn't want to be scared of that. So he worked to suppress the last of his Madness wavelength, shuddered at the suffocating weight of Vajra's Madness, and continued after Black Star and Tsubaki.

He crouched behind the remains of what looked like a wall, cautiously peeking over it to see the the ninja and his brother shouting at each other. He flinched back at the noise and ducked his head behind the ruins. Then Black Star said something that got his attention. "AND YOU! WHO'RE YOU?!"

Asura peeked up over the wall again and this time he caught sight of the werewolf. But still, there was no soul in him when he focused with his soul perception. Was that an illusion? Should he say something? He wasn't sure and he didn't want to get involved right then anyway, so he ducked down again and leaned against the wall. He would just sit and listen for now so Black Star wouldn't get angry at him for interfering like the boy told him not to do.

Liz sighed in relief as both of the boys turned to face Free now. _'We got lucky...now Kid's back to normal and we can take out this werewolf.'_ The girl thought, though out loud she said, "Fighting this opponent...ah? Look Kid. He's uncomfortable on his left foot!"

"Huh?! Seriously, who is this guy?" Kid said, shaking his head. The Kishinn's Madness seemed to back off some, but Kid could almost feel it clinging to him still. But that was now more incentive to beat this guy and stop the Kishin's revival.

"Who cares?!" Black Star shouted, grinning wildly as he sprinted towards the werewolf. "I'm gonna beat this guy up! Tsubaki!"

"Right!"

"Black Star! We're teaming up." Kid called after his friend.

Asura sighed. This would take a while he figured, since it seems Kid hasn't thought of using his soul perception yet. He should probably say something but...Black Star might get mad at him for ruining the fight. And what if Kid got mad too?

Cautiously he shifted until he was on his knees again to peek over the wall again. Black Star charged the werewolf with surprising speed, taking the man off guard and forcing him to dodge. However it wasn't enough and one of the attacks landed, or rather phased through the wolf man's body. Black Star didn't seem to notice, but the surprised spike in Kid's wavelength showed he did. Good, Kid could handle that then.

It was a relief to know he would not have to interfere. He was not expecting the man to turn back into his human form at all though and he could admit that he'd stared at the man for a good few minutes. He kind of reminded Asura of his old partner, at least in physical stature. And then his brother had to walk right through the illusion, stopping for a brief moment before continuing on. Black Star made to follow after his friend, but Tsubaki spoke up.

"Black Star! What about that boy? We can't leave him, remember what Maka said!" The boy stopped mid stride and blinked at that, glancing behind him and then at Kid.

"Oh, right! Hey Kid! Wait up a sec!" He called out, giving the dark haired boy no time to respond before he took off back the way he'd come from. Black Star almost passed the older Reaper, but Tsubaki had pointed him out when they'd approached and he skidded to a stop. "Hey! What're ya doing here? I know we left you farther back." Asura wasn't sure how to answer that, though he really didn't get the chance as the boy grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Ah well, it doesn't matter! C'mon, we got a Kishin to stop! WOO!"

"Wha...Black Star! Stop pulling him like that!" Tsubaki said, though it was obvious her meister wasn't listening. "I'm so sorry about this! Black Star can be a bit rough with other people." Asura only nodded, having spent a long time with someone like that made it easier to deal with. Once they reached Kid though, he immediately felt uncomfortable under his brother's scrutinizing gaze.

"So...you made it through instead of Maka then?" Kid questioned, and Asura could only nod in response as he couldn't seem to find his voice. He started fidgeting with the edge of his shirt, wringing the cloth in his hands before he realized he was wringing the blood from his clothes. Then he stopped.

Thankfully Tsubaki seemed to pick up on his anxiety as she said, "Kid, Maka and Soul asked us to bring him to you. Said he might have information on the Kishin that could help us if he revives." When the boy glanced back at him, Asura nodded and tried to offer a sincere smile. He wasn't sure it worked though, considering how his nerves were shot at the moment.

"Yeah, and Maka called him 'Asura' too." Black Star added, almost thoughtlessly. Kid however, looked incredibly surprised, his mouth open as he glanced between the weapon and Asura. The older shinigami only nodded again.

"Wait...if you are Asura...why...how are you here? Shouldn't you be _dead_?!" Asura flinched when Kid shouted the last part. Immediately the younger boy apologized. "I'm sorry it's just...are you immortal then?" The older boy made a 'so-so' motion with his hand, only to hide it in his cloak again when he saw the drying blood on it.

"Um...yes?...sort of..? I'm sorry for not saying anything earlier, I wasn't s-sure how to..." Asura trailed off, and started walking towards where he could sense the witch and werewolf. Kid summoned his skateboard again and quickly adjusted the pace so he was walking beside the other. It struck the older boy as strange when he was in such a hurry before, but then he would admit that he felt some kind of tug towards his brother now that they were so close. Perhaps it had to do with being fragments? Could Kid feel it too? He wasn't sure.

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" Black Star called, falling into step at Asura's other side. "So, about that Kishin...not that I'd need help defeating him, being the star I am, but Kid might need to know a weakness."

Asura nodded as he took a deep breath and said, "I don't know how much Vajra's abilities have changed since he became a Kishin...but I think he still relies heavily on runes. A type of written magic, it's very old but effective. He was a human among gods, so he used them to enhance his strength and durability...by carving them into his skin..."

Asura shivered at the memory of the first time he'd seen them. He'd accidentally walked in on his friend changing, but instead of leaving he'd just stood, staring at the pale scars and some fresher red cuts that he recognized as runes. Vajra had only brushed him off with a jab at Asura, _'What is it my friend? See something you like?'_. And of course he'd left, blushing red and complaining quietly about the man being inappropriate instead of questioning him about the runes.

When Kid cleared his throat at the extended silence, the older Reaper continued, "Ah, um, and Vajra's Madness causes hallucinations. They vary, but s-sometimes...um, I don't like them...I had one too many where I was s-saved or...or I escaped..." Asura shook his head quickly, trying to focus. "And he's a weapon so watch out for a partial transformation. Oh, but he is kind of over dramatic sometimes, and very cocky. Um, if he does revive...I-I won't stay around..."

"What why?! Aren't you like, really strong?" Black Star asked and Asura only shrugged. He wasn't sure if he should mention he couldn't use any reaper magics at the moment. Fighting witches would be more difficult too if it were just hand to hand combat. Thankfully he didn't need to worry, as the temple was right ahead and both Kid and Black Star took off ahead, Kid at least tossing a 'Thank You' in his direction as he left. Asura trailed behind them, skeptical about getting closer with the Madness hanging so thickly in the air. If it's so bad outside the building, what would it be like inside? Surely there were some kind of seals restricting the worst of the Madness so it wouldn't spread and affect the humans of the city.

He leaned around the open door in time to see the younger boys catching up with the enemy on the other end of the hall and carefully edged inside. The first thing he did was duck behind the nearest pillar to watch the fight. However, the longer he stood there the heavier the air felt, until he was sure the Madness was starting to condense around him. As the realization dawned that somehow Vajra recognized him, even in the state he was, Asura began to panic.

Quickly, he turned to flee far away from the temple, from the Madness, from _Vajra_. But Asura didn't even make it to the door before the feeling changed from heavy and suffocating, to gentle, lulling, a trick to make one stay and sleep. And he couldn't resist the pull anymore, not with his tired mind and aching body. Before he could resist, his eyes were closing and the voices of his brother and Black Star were drowned out by Vajra's eerily gentle words echoing in his head, _"Good night and sweet dreams my Asura~ I will see you soon."_

* * *

Asura jolted awake, a strangled scream escaping his throat and when he tried to sit up, he felt something tighten around his waist. Immediately, he tried to twist and squirm away unsure of who it was who had him. Then a voice spoke up, one that sent chills down his spine. "Ah...'Sura, it's not even morning yet...go back to sleep..." The Reaper gasped in shock and, after a brief pause, resumed struggling desperately. He felt his elbow slam into something behind him and the pained groan from the man, no _monster_ , behind him.

Now free Asura scrambled backwards, yelping in fear as he fell back. It wasn't until he hit the hardwood floor that he realized how soft the ground was before...and how little his body hurt and how his mind wasn't weighed down with the feel of Madness...what was going on? Lifting his head, he could see a simple oak dresser at the far wall and a book shelf packed with books. In front of him was a large, queen-sized bed. And it was there that the last person he wanted to see was kneeling, hands on the edge of the bed, _his_ bed he realized.

Vajra's dark eyes gleamed with worry Asura hadn't seen in literal ages as he sat back on his heels, hands held up above his head to show he was unarmed. There was no Madness in his eyes, no deranged smile. It was just... Vajra. The one he knew before he went mad.

"Asura? Are you alright my friend? Did you have another nightmare?" The dark skinned man asked, running a hand through his long, dark brown -almost black really but not quite like his own- hair. He wore no armor nor the black pants or red tunic Asura was most familiar with. Instead, he was dressed in a blue nightshirt and loose fitting brown pants. Asura blinked, confused as his mind tried to wrap around what he was seeing. Soon he realized he too was dressed like Vajra, though as usual he wore black and red, and his confusion increased. Wasn't he just fighting witches who were trying to resurrect the Kishin...?

Yes! He was! His brother was there! And the boy who wanted to surpass god and the scythe Meister with the odd soul. And her weapon, the albino boy named...named...what...what was his name? Actually, what was her name? And the ninja's, and the weapons...what was his brother's name? What was going on? Why couldn't he remember?

Vajra reached out to him slowly as he climbed down from the bed. "Hey...'Sura? You okay? You look a little out of sorts. Was it the nightmare?" His friend asked, carefully reaching out to take the shinigami's hand in his own. Asura immediately reeled back, but he couldn't think of why he would. This was Vajra, right? His oldest friend, his only friend really since the other warriors didn't seem to trust him. Vajra was the only one he could trust. Thankfully Vajra didn't seem to be bothered by the action, he only reached out once more and took his Meister's hand.

Asura was gently pulled to his feet by the other man, who smiled softly as he placed his free hand on the Reaper's shoulder to help steady him. Then he carefully pulled his friend back to the bed, where he laid down right away and pulled him down too. "So...was it a nightmare?" Vajra asked, and Asura nodded. "Ah, my friend, you don't want to tell me? It helps to share them you know...well, so I've heard anyway."

"...I...um, I-I-I don't...I don't really remember it well..." Asura said, trailing off as he curled up beside his friend. "I...um, there was a Kishin...not like those kishin eggs we've hunted, a-a real Kishin..."

"Oh? How strange, what did it look like my friend? I have to wonder as I've never seen one." Vajra asked, propping his head up with his arm and waiting patiently, fully intent on humoring his friend. At first Asura said nothing, biting his lip nervously as he tried to recall.

"I...didn't see it. But it was strange...the Kishin was someone we know...I don't remember who." The Reaper said, shuddering at the thought. Kishin eggs were ugly things, and he would openly admit that he hated them. But the idea of a real Kishin...if lesser ones were so monstrous, what would a true Kishin be like. He didn't want to think about it anymore, but it seemed like the thought wouldn't leave him be. Who was the Kishin again? Why did it seem so important? "Oh! But...I, uh...I had a brother in that dream! A younger brother...and he was friends with some odd people. Um...there was a man covered in stitches and a blue-haired ninja who wants to be better than gods. And Medusa Gorgon was there too, and a werewolf...that's all I remember."

Vajra chuckled, and his Meister had to smile at that. "Sounds pretty strange alright! I think you should lay off the sweets before bed though. I swear the weirdest dreams you have are after you've had sugar. Might help cut back on the nightmares too." The darker man lectured, as if he hadn't been caught raiding the pantry every time alongside Asura. Hell, it was usually his idea anyway. Asura made to argue that point, but Vajra just tucked one arm around him again, laid his head down, and closed his eyes. He was obviously intending to go back to sleep. However, the young shinigami couldn't seem to do the same, an uncomfortable, nagging feeling growing in his head. Something just wasn't right.

Vajra sighed when he wouldn't settle, saying, "Asu, it's late. Go to sleep okay." The tightening of the arm around his waist seemed almost like a warning, and he knew for sure that Vajra could be an impatient man sometimes. But it set off more alarms in his head and he was scared. Not overwhelmingly so, but still there and steadily increasing the more Vajra seemed upset with him and his restlessness. "Asura. Stop it." He was frowning now, eyes open but narrowed in a glare. There was a spike in fear then and a sense of danger that had to be learned. Vajra would hurt him. He'd done it before...hadn't he? Either way he didn't want to know what might happen.

Asura tried to pry himself free again, frantically clawing at the arm pinning him down to no avail. Finally Vajra seemed fed up with him and removed his arm only for two large hands to clamp down tight on the frightened Reaper's shoulders. Asura was forced to lay with Vajra kneeling over him and it was then that the scene flickered before his eyes, he realized what was happening. Back and forth it went, again and again until finally settling on the newer one. The dark, old temple was hauntingly familiar and the scene now...oh god, not again!

Vajra straddling his waist while countless stone soldiers hovered around them, weapons drawn. There were rune-bands around his wrist, but he barely noticed as he was too busy clawing at the hand on his throat. He couldn't tell what was going on entirely, what had happened? Hadn't Vajra been hurt? He was...Vajra...attacked him...hit him in the head with something, he could feel the blood dripping down his face. "...Vajra? W-wha...what are you-!?"

The hand at his throat tightened painfully, and Vajra smiled a twisted grin that stretched farther than humanly possible. There was a demented gleam in his friend's eyes, the look of Madness. "Vaj...ra...s-stop...Can't...breathe..."

"Aww, I'm so sorry 'Sura~. I don't want to do this you know, but I know you wouldn't have gone along with this and I can't protect you like I promised if you keep running out into danger~. I know you must be scared and I know I said I wouldn't ever hurt you, but exceptions can be made when it's for your own good my friend." The hand loosened up just a bit, but Asura could tell his voice was wrong then. Vajra had never sounded so...so hollow, even if he tried to cover it with a cheery tone.

"Let me go Vajra...please..."

"Sorry, can't do that. Good night my little Reaper friend~" That was the moment he noticed Vajra's free hand raised, a large piece of stone rubble clutched tightly in his hand. Asura struggle more as soon as he saw it, knowing full well the intent was to bash his head in. He kicked, clawed, and screamed out, thrashing every which way and trying to push all his strength into every move. He'd managed to throw Vajra off balance, but almost immediately the stone was brought down as hard as his attacker could swing it. The splitting pain tore a blood curdling scream from him and he laid still, whimpering and shaking while the stars cleared from his eyes. "I'd hold still my friend, it will be quicker that way. 'Course If you do keep that up, I get bragging rights! A human who managed to get a god beneath him, squirming and begging. Most people will probably misunderstand, but hey, we'll have a lot more free time soon, something like that could happen you know."

"N-no...please...I want to go home...let's go home Vajra...I-I won't tell father...I p-promise..." He tried begging again, tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes. This wasn't happening, it wasn't real. But he was so scared and he couldn't breathe, could barely think, he wanted to be home. Home with father and Eibon and Excalibur and the rest, because home was safe. Being home meant he would be safe, surrounded by the other warriors who would be able to sense if Vajra tried to hurt him again. "It'll be like this never happened! I swear! We'll go on missions together again and you can protect me!"

Vajra just shook his head slowly and raised the stone again. The tears flowed then, and Asura was sure Vajra was too deep in Madness if he hadn't stopped yet. A choked sob escaped the trapped boy that was soon followed by another shriek as the second blow connected with his temple, sending waves of searing pain through his body that left him writhing on the floor. It didn't stop there either, as Vajra's arm rose for a third time. "N-no...NO MORE! STOP! PLEASE! F-FATHER! FATHER HELP ME! PLEASE, IT HURTS! IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HUR-" The third blow shut him up but he still whimpered and cried softly, hoping somehow Vajra would come to his senses and stop. He didn't even see the fourth coming, but after that he stopped struggling. They came faster then, five, six, seven, and by the time it was up to twelve, he was internally cursing his reaper heritage and subsequent resilience.

The thirteenth, and final blow, never landed though. Instead Asura woke upon the stone floor of the Soul Sanctuary, with sweat pouring down his face and his breath coming in short, quiet gasps. It took a moment or two to stop his shaking, but Asura was glad when it stopped. Red eyes, wide with terror, scanned the area after he'd pushed himself up. At the end of the hall he could see the witch and the werewolf, as well as Kid, Black Star, and their of them focused on what was in front of them. Hanging in chains from the sealing before a twisted and recently ruined statue was a sack of some kind, colored in dark brown with pale rune looking scars crisscrossing the surface. _'Vajra...what happened to you?'_

But he quickly came to notice the little things in the scene before him. Kid's lowered weapons and his shaky hands. How wide his eyes looked and how pale he seemed. Black Star tense and ready to fight. The werewolf didn't seem to care much, but the witch that was there knelt before the bag and stared. And past her was an empty needle stuck into what remained of Vajra. It seemed like they had lost, the Kishin would revive soon.

...How fast could he run away, Asura wondered. Probably not fast enough, but it was worth a try.

* * *

 **Next chapter : Vajra's back baby!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Man this was difficult, mostly because the resurrection plays out way different. Vajra's not Asura after all, so he would have a different approach.  
If you like this chapter, please say so. I'm really anxious about how it is because of the trouble it gave me.**

* * *

Asura found he could only stare in shear terror as the bag shuddered and shook. Madness was pouring from it in waves, becoming so thick and heavy in the air that he was starting to wonder if it could suffocate him. This wasn't real, this couldn't be real! Vajra wasn't supposed to... wasn't supposed to...oh no no no no! He had to...he had to...he couldn't stop shaking, frozen in place by fear.

"Dammit!" Kid shouted, bringing both of his weapons up to fire multiple rounds at the bag. " **Go to hell!** " But as the smoke cleared, there was nothing. Not even a scratch could be seen on the bag, unless one counted the numerous, crisscrossing scars all across it's surface. Hundreds of symbols and circles connecting to each other in intricate patterns.

A reflection in the metal of the guns caught Kid's eye then, and he whipped around to see Asura, frozen on the spot. His face was twisted into one of horror, red eyes wide while he chewed down his finger nails until he bled. The younger Reaper felt a wave of panic wash over him, but it felt...off. It didn't feel like his own fear, but like the Madness. And it was coming from...from Asura?

That wasn't good! None of this was! Vajra wasn't supposed to revive. They were supposed to stop that and then get Asura back to Shinigami safely! He wasn't supposed to be here anyway, but that was the plan once Kid knew who the older boy was. But Asura had to leave now, so he called out to him. "Asura!" The boy's head snapped up to meet Kid's eyes and he faltered for a moment. He hadn't actually gotten a good look at the boy before, but now he could see something eerily familiar in his pale features. But he shook his head quickly and said, "Asura get out of here! Before he revives completely!"

That seemed to be all he needed to hear then and he nodded once before turning on his heel to flee from the temple. Kid raised his weapons again, but before he could fire, Free said, "It's no use. Kishin has revived."

Just then the bag began to stretch, an imprint of a face appearing on it. The frog witch took a few steps back, her breathing speeding up and her eyes wide. "I-it's... It's coming out..." The bag had stretched out more now, the arms clawing at the floor for some sort of support.

Kid's hands were shaking hard now, that voice from his earlier hallucinations repeating in his head. _"Aren't you happy? We'll see each other again soon..."_ Kid could only stare now, his arms falling to his sides as the Kishin clawed his way free. "T-the bag...is transforming..."

 _"Relax my friend..."_

Soon enough, the figure was out. A human figure, bald headed and covered in intricate symbols carved into the skin, was knelt in place of the bag. It slowly pushed itself up to stand, stumbling slightly as it readjusted to using it's body.

 _"Don't be scared..."_

The Kishin's height alone was intimidating, and Kid could only guess at how tall this person was. But to add to that- instead of being even slightly emaciated like one would expect after eight hundred years trapped in a bag- it was obviously built like Free, the werewolf. All broad shoulders and muscular, the runes added an eerie effect as they glowed a powdery blue and lavender color.

 _"I will protect you..."_

Was he hallucinating? Hearing that voice...the Kishin fell to one knee while rubbing at it's eye, seemingly unaware of the witch Eruka in front of him. Once his eyes slowly opened , he sat quietly for a moment. Then a twisted grin spread across his face, showing off the sharp teeth that made Kid think of his own friend Soul's. Eruka screamed, crawling backwards towards Free and the Kishin followed the movement with his head.

Some of the runes on his body glowed brighter then, and from nowhere appeared clothes on his body. A red tunic covered his chest and a brown leather studded vest was cinched tightly, but not uncomfortably so, over it. Loosely fitted black pants covered his legs, held up by a thin, braided leather belt with a dagger sheathed on his left hip. There was a worn brown cloak that only reached part of the way down his back. It was meant for travel in warmer places and made from finer fabric, Kid would guess, and obviously well loved. Once the Kishin was standing again, Kid noted that he had no shoes.

"Asura..." The figure mumbled, and it took Kid a second to realize that the voice wasn't in his head this time. The boy could only stare as the Kishin called out again. "Asura! Where are you!? I know you're here, I can sense you! Come out!" Then, after a brief look about, he spoke much quieter. "Asura! Come on my friend! It's alright, I'm sorry for shouting! I won't do it again if you come out now!"

When the man got no response again, he huffed and glanced around once more. Suddenly, Black Star appeared behind him, shouting, " **Prepare to die creep!** " Energy crackled in the boy's palm and he added, " **Black Star Big Wave!"** The attack threw the Kishin off balance but did little else to it. Instead, pain shot through the ninja, making the boy gasp. In the time it took for Black Star to recover from the backlash, Vajra turned to face him. The hood obscured his face, making it difficult to see what the man thought.

"...ah, I wonder...yes! Surely my friend is afraid of you and so will not come out of where he's hidden! With an attack like that, I am not surprised. It packs quite a punch." A sharp tooth smile spread across his face as he leaned forward. "Then I suppose I will have to be rid of you, little bug. Let me show you how to truly utilize your wavelength." Without anymore of a warning the man slammed his hand into the boy's stomach sending him flying backwards and skidding across the ground right past Kid.

"...oh, he's unconscious..." He looked back to Eruka, jerking his thumb in the direction Black Star went flying and asked, "Was that a little too much?" The witch only shook her head frantically and scrambled back, behind Free, for some form of protection.

Kid's head turned to follow Black Star's body as he flew past him, and the boy shouted, "Black Star!" But quickly turned back to the fight when he heard foot steps come his way. "Dammit!" He growled, lifting Liz and Patty up and firing off round after round. The bullets had very little effect, if any, and Vajra was soon standing tall over him. With no warning the man lashed out, grabbing the younger Reaper by the throat. Kid was lifted off of his feet and dropped his weapons to claw at the hand slowly cutting off his air.

"And what do we have here? A little Reaper? That's adorable!" The Kishin said, bringing Kid closer to his face. "I was going to kill you, but I think maybe you can come back with me and my Asura! Once I find him of course. I bet he'd like the company when I'm gone and he's going to need someone to help him once I'm done with him."

With an angry growl, the boy thrashed about, landing a kick in Vajra's stomach. The man didn't even flinch, but it still felt good to hit him. "Don't touch him! Damn Kishin I swear if you do-"

One minute to the next, Kid suddenly found himself slumped forward against the base of the statue. His head spun and throbbed painfully, something warm and wet dripping down the back of his neck. When he tried to take a deep breath, he had to choke back a sob. It was when blood bubbled up from the back of his throat, spilling out from his mouth and leaving a disgusting, metallic taste, that he realized he must have ruptured something inside.

Vajra knelt before him then, setting one hand on the boy's head gently. "You were saying?" Kid didn't answer him, he couldn't. It hurt enough to breathe already, talking would surely be worse. The man only grinned at that. "That's what I thought. Now how about we go find my friend, hmm?" He reached out to take the young Reaper, who flinched away, but something hit his hand and made him reel back.

He stood quickly and spun around, coming face to face with the silver barrel of a pistol. Glancing over the weapon, he met the burning blue eyes of it's wielder. "Don't you _ever_ touch my Meister again!" She yelled.

Patty cheered, "Yeah! Yeah! Let's kick his bitch ass Sis!"

Liz nodded once, before having to roll away from the small blade that suddenly came her way. With some distance between them, she fired a round at his chest, only to have to dive out of the way again. This continued a few more times before one hit came too close and the sisters switched positions, Liz turning into a pistol while Patty caught her. The barrel lined up with the man's head, and Patty fired. "BANG~!" She sang out while the man toppled over.

The elder sister sighed, "I guess we got lucky, I don't think he realized that both of us were weapons." The fight wasn't over yet though, as Vajra was up in a flash. Faster than either girl could see, he vanished only to appear behind the two. His transformed hand was pulled back, the tip of the blade glowing with a bright blue-purple light. "PATTY MOVE!" Liz screamed, and the girl jumped back. At the same time, a chain wrapped around the man's arm, pulling it back.

A laser shot from the weapon's blade, tearing through everything in its path, not even leaving ashes behind. The temple rocked and shuddered from the shear force of the resulting explosion and debris rained down from the ceiling. A frightening creaking noise filled the air and farther towards the entrance a pillar collapsed. The three weapon girls all stared after it, color drained from the faces of Liz and Tsubaki while Patty looked on in awe.

Vajra took advantage of their surprise then, unwrapping the chain on his arm and flinging Tsubaki into her friends. All three were sent tumbling into a pillar across the room. Patty kept a tight grip on her sister the whole time and brought the weapon up again, shouting, "You'll pay for that mother fucker!" She fired a round at Vajra, but again the man appeared unscathed. He raised the blade of his transformed hand again and the glow returned, ready to fire at any given moment.

"Well, that was fun ladies, but I kind of have to kill you now." Shrugging, he added, "No hard feelings though, that's just how it is." Patty growled at the man and fired a few more shots.

"Dammit! Fucking die!"

"Patty! Calm down!" Tsubaki cried, grabbing the girl's arm. Patty just shook her off. "We have to go now! I got Black Star out!"

"What about Kid?! We're not leaving without him!" Liz chimed in. "You go! Get help or something. Maka might be on her way, and Stein too." The trio was silent before Tsubaki nodded and turned to the door.

"I'll be back quickly with Professor Stein then! Stay alive!" Liz nodded and with that said and done, she sprinted as fast as she could towards the door. Rolling under another laser aimed for her head that collided with the temple above the door. More lasers filled the air and she realized he wasn't even aiming for her anymore. The wall began to crumble then, shaking the whole temple and probably the entire city. She could hear more gun shots and Patty's deranged laughter as she vaulted over some rubble and dove through the doorway as the rest of the wall and some of the cavern outside it came down. Too focused on her own escape was she to see the other person slip in.

Inside, Patty and Liz were dodging to the best of their abilities. With each shot fired, more of the temple would crumble around them and Liz at least was sure they had survived so long because of their ability to transform. If any attack came too close, they would just switch positions and fire round after round of bullets that had no effect. They had no choice now though, other than to survive until help arrived. The door was gone, nothing but a pile of ruined stone chunks, and the only way out was at the top of the pile. There was no way they would be able to carry Kid up that way while trying to avoid the Kishin's attacks. It was impossible and they were trapped until help arrived or they died. Liz was praying for the former though, even if the latter was most likely.

Finally though, Vajra had the sisters cornered against a pillar. Both girls shaking and panting, sweat dripping down their faces and making their hair stick to them. With a bright grin and cheery tone that should not belong to someone about to murder another, the Kishin said, "Bye bye ladies~!" A second before the laser fired, a black blur barreled into the man, knocking him off balance. Instead of hitting the girls, the blast hit the pillar above their heads. The stone groaned loudly as it gave away, coming apart in chunks around the girls and the surrounding ceiling too fell in without it's support. Liz wrapped her arms around her sister covering the smaller girl with her body. Dust quickly obscuring their vision, but she swore she had seen something black in front of them.

* * *

"Liz! Patty!" Kid called out, scrabbling to get up again only to fall to the ground again. It still hurt badly to move, but he had to get up. His weapons were still alive, he could sense their souls. They could be hurt though, so the shinigami tried again to get up. Liz and Patty had attempted to fight the Kishin for him, digging them out of the rubble was the least he could do. It wouldn't be right if they died now. He only managed to get to his knees before he was stomped back down by the angry Kishin, screaming out at the pressure put on his broken ribs.

"Damn Reapers! You all are such a pain to deal with, never listening and staying out of the way even if it's for your own _good_." The man ground his foot into the boy's back again and growled. "Now, _**stay down!**_ " Kid whimpered and clawed at the ground, giving up after a few tries. Pleased with that, Vajra backed off. He glanced back at the pillar where the sisters had been, a proud smile stretching across his face only to fall just as fast. Squinting in the direction of the pillars, he could see a flash of shimmering red through the settling dust. Soon enough the dust had settled to reveal the red, translucent barrier surrounding the two weapons and the one person he was looking for.

Asura's face was scrunched up, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. His shoulders hunched forward a bit and both hands were together as if he were praying. It was taking more effort than he thought to hold up the barrier, but the second he had thrown it up the collar crackled with energy. It _burned_ , the heat unbearable against the raw skin. He had to hold it up though, because surely he would be fine. It had been about an hour, so Shinigami was probably on his way and if he was then Asura wouldn't want to get in trouble for abandoning his brother. He may be terrified of Vajra but his father had sealed the man away, and in such a brutal manner too. What would happen to him if his father got mad at him?

With a furious growl, Vajra shouted, "Asura!" The Reaper's head snapped up, meeting the man's eyes, and he squeaked. The Kishin's hand transformed again, back into a blade, and he pointed it at the younger boy beside him. "Drop that barrier and get over here right now or I swear I will blast this kid into oblivion." Hesitantly he obeyed, the shield flickering a bit before fully falling.

He took a step forward, but stopped, glancing back at the sisters and muttering just loud enough for them to hear, "I will distract him. Grab Kid and run once I have his attention." He didn't look back, deciding to just get on with this before the reality of what he was about to do fully sunk in. Facing Vajra he took a step forward, then another and another, focusing on his feet until he felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly. Peeking up he met the man's eyes, hazel in color and so very, deceivingly human that he had almost forgotten the man was now a demon. "V-vajra...I-I, um..." He stopped trying to speak when the man pulled him closer, far gentler than he had been expecting. Asura froze.

"There you are my friend! I missed you so much! It was very lonely being down here you know." He said, speaking in a much softer tone than he used moments ago. One of the man's hands pushed the older Reaper's hood back and ran through his tangled hair. From the corner of his eye he could see Liz, who was creeping closer to his brother, freeze. She must have noticed the similarities between himself and her own Meister, so as subtly as he could, he waved a hand at her to keep moving. "Asura." Vajra said to get his attention again.

"Y-yes?" He stuttered.

For a moment the man didn't respond to him, but it passed and he said, "What are you doing here now Asura? You shouldn't be _here._ " He felt his heart stop for a moment, of course Vajra would ask that! As far as he was concerned Asura was supposed to be locked up in that run down old temple with his stone soldiers.

"O-oh...um, I-I was looking for you!" He blurted out, trying hard not to cringe when his voice cracked. The man huffed.

"That so?"

Asura nodded quickly, he had already dug his grave by coming back here to help his brother after Vajra revived so he figured he should just keep going. "Yes! W-why wouldn't I? It's been eight hundred years Vajra! What was I supposed to do?" He asked, panic creeping into his voice as he realized Vajra wasn't buying it.

They both heard something scrape across the ground, both of their heads snapping to the sound. Liz looked back, her eyes wide in terror at being caught trying to drag Kid away from them with Patty. Vajra's hand transformed yet again, aiming the blade's tip at the girls and his brother.

Thinking fast, Asura grabbed the dagger hanging from Vajra's belt, stabbing it into the man's side and twisting it. It worked, the Kishin flinching and turning his hand back to normal. Liz and her sister rushed to get their Meister out of harm's way, but there was no need to now. Vajra's attention was solely on Asura now, his eye ablaze with rage. There was no time to react before the man tangled a hand in is his hair holding him in place while he pried the blade from the Reaper's hand.

In one smooth motion, that same blade sliced clean through the flesh on his upper arm and catching on bone, leaving a diagonal gash from below the shoulder to just above his elbow. Asura shrieked, tears spilling over and running down his cheeks while he struggled against Vajra. "Ah! N-no! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn-" He didn't get to finish begging as the dagger was plunged into his chest again and again, making a horrific squelching sound each time. Vajra stopped only when his legs gave out and he hung limp in the Kishin's arms.

"There, now you're forgiven. Let's go home then, hm?" The Kishin asked, though it was a rhetorical question. Asura knew he didn't have a choice, nor did he stand a fighting chance at the moment. Everything hurt and his head spun, making him dizzy from blood loss. The metallic taste in his mouth made him want to vomit, but he found the most he could do was cough it out when it got too bad.

He felt the man loop an arm around his chest, holding him up while the other pointed towards the ceiling. The blade glowed again and a single beam shot out, blasting through the roof until it erupted from the earth above ground. From the corner of his eye he saw something black unfurl and in one swift motion, Vajra shot into the air. Asura felt a sudden weight pulling on the longer half of his scarf and looked down to see Maka trying to use Soul to slow them down.

It didn't work and soon they were out in the open Vajra's grip slipping up and dropping all three of them. Maka and Soul crashed through an awning into the crates below and Asura hit the ground, rolling too close to the gaping hole that was their escape route for comfort. He tried to get up again, but found himself unable to move. He could only stare up at his old partner. It hurt. It hurt so much. Maybe...maybe he could just close his eyes for a while? He was so tired, so very, very tired...

* * *

"Shit! Shit shit shit shit shit!" Soul looked around frantically, holding his unconscious Meister tightly to his chest. The Kishin had appeared to be trapped by whatever had come out of the ground. The strange seals held the man in place for only a moment before the blueish lasers tore them apart. His black wings retracted then, moving like water and disappearing back into his body. That was when Soul realized it was Black Blood, the Kishin used Black Blood like the person Maka had helped down below.

Vajra dropped to the ground, strutting to his old partner. He smiled as he knelt down, sliding one arm around the Reapers shoulders and the other under his knees. Standing slowly to not jar the wounds anymore, he called back his wings and took to the sky again. "Asura!" Soul called out, but there was no response. Panicked, he glanced around the area in case anyone there could help. His red eyes landed on a familiar figure then and he grinned. "Blair!"

The cat's head shot up and looked at him. She was up and by his side in seconds. "Soul! Oh no, are you two okay?!" The boy nodded frantically.

"Yeah, we're fine! But that guy has our friend Blair!" The albino pointed after Vajra. Blair followed his direction, eyes wide.

"Isn't that Kishin...?" She asked.

Soul nodded, he really didn't know what to do if Blair didn't do something soon. "Yeah, but that boy he has is really important to Shinigami-sama. If you get him back, I can get him to let you into next year's party! And! And I'll buy you the biggest, freshest fish from the store!"

"Make it two fish and I'll do it." The cat said. Soul nodded then.

"Fine! Hurry up! I'll get Maka out of here." The boy agreed, watching the cat jump in joy. While she summoned a pumpkin and took off, he moved Maka to his back so she was riding piggyback style. He turned and began walking quickly towards Shibusen, praying that Blair would be successful. Even from that distance, he could see someone else closing in on the area from the school and was sure it was the Death God himself. Asura would be fine then, he was sure.

Above the city, the magic cat caught up to the Kishin, leaping from her pumpkin and landing a kick to the man's head. "Hand him over Kishin! My reward dinner is at stake!" She grabbed onto the boy's sleeve only to be swatted away with an enraged growl, to which she responded with a hiss. "Ooohhh boy you're gonna get it now. Pumpkin Cannon!" The orange magic gathered in her hand and she flung the smaller pumpkin forward, just past the man's head before setting it off. It knocked him forward, and he threw his arms out to right himself, dropping Asura right to Blair. The cat grunted at his weight landing on her, but recovered quickly enough. "Aww, poor thing. You're so light! Don't worry, Blair'll take care of it!" She said, taking one of his hands and patting it gently.

A larger hand closed over her own then, and her head shot up. Her eyes crossed to try and see the blade pointed right between her eyes, the color gone from her face. With a broad grin, Vajra said, "I don't think so, stupid cat." The blast went off and the woman's body disappeared, leaving behind a purple soul. The man completely ignored it in favor of taking back his old Meister, barely getting a grip on the boy before he was sent flying again. The Kishin crashed into the ground below, coughing out blood as he pushed himself up again.

Holding tight to the Reaper was his father, the man obviously bristling in anger with one gloved hand raised. "Hello there Vajra. It's been quite a while hasn't it? You look the same I see." Shinigami commented, the bitterness underneath his playful tone.

"And you look ridiculous. That voice too, wow you've gotten soft. I can hardly believe it." The man said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Well anyway, I know you just woke up and all but you're going to have to die again." The Reaper shrugged, shifting so that He could hold Asura in one arm. Vajra laughed, tilting his head back as the sound escaped, it was completely wrong and utterly horrific to see his mouth open so wide.

"Too late! I've already established a link out of here!" He announced, his body seemed to come apart as it disappeared. It seemed like an illusion if not for the strange sensation of his soul disappearing to who knew where. "Don't think this means I'm abandoning my cute little Asu~ I will come back for him!" Shinigami held his son tighter to his chest, letting out a feral growl that sent the Kishin into hysterics. And just like that, he was gone.

"..." Shinigami stared for a long time at the place where Vajra had just been before he turned his attention to his son. He immediately regretted not catching the boy before he was literally dragged into this mess. Asura's whole shirt was ruined, full of holes and slash marks and soaked in blood that was probably mostly his. And he was so thin, more so than the Reaper remembered. With a heavy sigh he returned to the DWMA, landing right out front. Sid quickly ran to meet him.

"...Shinigami-sama..." Sid began as he approached, but then his gazed dropped down to the shade's arms and he froze. "Oh...is he...?"

"He will be fine in time, physically at least. Asura was always a resilient boy." He responded before shaking his head. "Right now our priority is to protect the children still underground. There is no doubt that they must have encountered the Kishin. And if Stein is well enough, send him to the infirmary immediately..."

"Yes!"

"Also," the man added, "Contact all 'Death Scythes' and tell them all to meet in Death City." Sid nodded once, rushing off to do as he was told. Shinigami began speaking to himself then, as he headed for the infirmary. "I never would would have thought that the Kishin would resurrect, and on the anniversary of the school meant to prevent them too. I guess we'll be busy from now on...well first things first, we need to get you taken care of. Those wounds...I'm sorry Asura, I should have been there."


	10. Chapter 10

**Kay, this is done now. I have too many projects I need to stop starting new ones. But I have a comic I'm making. That's why I took so long with this.**

 **Also, at some point in this chapter, Asura does have a panic attack and I'm sorry if it's not the best. I'm still working on writing things like panic/anxiety attacks so it will probably not be the best.**

* * *

Shinigami liked to think he was a patient person. After all, living for hundreds of years and raising two boys who each had their own... eccentricities, for lack of a better term, tended to help one learn patience. But just because he could be patient, didn't mean he had to like it. He had been on edge since Vajra's revival, and had immediately sent for the Death Scythes to gather.

On top of that, both of his sons were wounded, Kid had already recovered for the most part but it seemed his ribs were taking longer to heal. His younger son had been very upset with him lately too, since he had been forbidden from going back to the Gallows Manor for the time being. And Asura's recovery was taking far longer than it should have been. Stein had removed the...the collar- he hated to think about it like that, but that's what it was -from around his neck. He was healing better now without it, but it still wasn't the same as before.

He had also made sure that Asura was set up in one of Shibusen's guestrooms while he recovered. Keeping him away from the students was for the best at the moment, he knew they were curious about the boy but he couldn't risk someone getting hurt. The Reaper had been far more anxious since he'd woken and refused to eat or let Stein or anyone else change his bandages, spending most of his time curled in the corner of his bed with a blanket wrapped around himself.

The scientist still had to give him the full report on Asura's condition too, since he'd been busy making sure to tighten security around the school. Maybe he was being overly cautious, but he would rather not wake up one day to alarms going off to find both of his boys gone. That was why he was waiting on Sid now for some kind of an update.

After waiting for so long, the zombie was finally standing before the mirror. "So Sid, have the eight Death Scythes gathered then?" He asked the blue man, sincerely hoping for some good news for now. His luck seemed to be pretty bad today however.

"Well, Justin only just arrived. So with the other two who arrived earlier, that's four of them." The zombie stated, holding up four of his fingers. It took every bit of will power the Reaper had not to sigh. He had really been hoping they all would be there by now.

"And the other four couldn't make it because...?"

With a nod, Sid explained, "The European chief and West Asian chief are on missions at the moment and couldn't make it." He paused for a moment before adding, "And the South American chief only says ' _Gaogao'_ so we can't really communicate."

"And Africa?"

"They've blocked our communications." The man said.

"Oh..." Was all that he was able to say for a moment while Sid nodded solemnly in agreement. "Well then...I guess four will have to do, huh? If that's all, you're dismissed." The Reaper waved him away then but Sid still stayed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other like he wasn't sure he should say something or not.

Finally, the man looked up at him and said. "I know it isn't my business, but do you plan to check up on Asura anytime soon? That kid's not doing too well lately." He told the man, adding, "When I spoke to Stein last, he said Asura seemed to have convinced himself that him being here is some elaborate hallucination the Kishin decided to put him through."

Shinigami tensed slightly, taking a moment to process the information. "...yes, I planned on visiting once I'd gotten the Death Scythes gathered and briefed. Once I speak to those of them here and talk to Stein about his condition then I'll visit." He reassured the zombie. If Sid felt differently he definitely didn't say so, instead he nodded and turned to leave. Quickly, the Reaper called after him. "Sid! Could you check up on him?" The zombie turned back for a moment and nodded.

"I will."

"Thank you Sid."

* * *

All four Death Scythes who had arrived so far, plus Stein, stood before the Reaper. It was about time too, since he was admittedly losing his patience. He wanted to get on with this and check up on his children. There were a few things he had to talk to both of them about, but he would worry about that in a little bit. For now he put on his cheeriest voice and said, "Thank you all for coming! It has been a while since I've seen you all."

The statement was met with a couple nods and a smile courtesy of Marie Mjolnir. With the greetings done, Shinigami continued, "I'm sure you all know why I've gathered you all here. Kishin 'Vajra' has been revived and I thought we should take a moment to discuss this. Vajra can be very unpredictable, but I don't believe he will take action so soon. He will probably take his time recovering from this revival and the fight after."

"Because of this, I don't think his movements are our top priority. We should still be careful though, as I sad, he is unpredictable sometimes. For now we need to work on some countermeasures. The wavelength of insanity that Vajra exudes...Stein. If you will." The shade waved a gloved hand, gesturing for the man to take over.

Stein nodded. "Alright."

"Wavelength of insanity, huh?" Azusa said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Can we think of this as Vajra's wavelength then?"

"Yes," the scientist replied, "but it's a wavelength at the level of a god. Although it seems like it's not exclusive to him as we managed to recover the Kishin's Meister during the fight to stop his revival. Occasionally I can sense something similar from him."

He could see a flash of concern cross Marie's face for a moment, before she asked, "So, does this wavelength attract something then?" Stein nodded.

"That's a good way to put it...every human no matter who it is, has a bit of insanity in them. Myself included. Vajra's wavelength of insanity encourages the insanity in human souls. It's certain that insanity is contagious. I definitely felt it."

Azusa nodded once in understanding before she asked, "Can this happen to anyone? And what about this other person you mentioned? If they've got a Madness wavelength, are they a threat?"

Stein paused, glancing between the woman and Shinigami as he thought about his answer. "Well, for your first question...no. I expect the appearance rate to be low among clergymen with strong faith like Justin." He waved absentmindedly to the weapon in question, then continued, "And about the second, I don't think we're at risk of him going mad anytime soon. His Madness wavelength seems to be inactive or suppressed for the most part. If anything, it seems to act as a defense mechanism that activates when he feels overly scared or threatened."

The white haired man took a long drag from his cigarette before adding, "Also, I doubt that the general human populace will be hit with a 'madness outbreak' at this stage."

"Well, what's the issue then?" Justin asked, though Azusa spoke up right afterwards.

"The awakening and powering up of evil beings." The woman stated, reaching up to adjust her glasses.

"That's right... making snap judgements about people based on appearances is awful you know. Makes me wanna cut you to pieces~!" The scientist quipped, quickly switching the topic afterwards before Azusa could respond. "But anyway there's no end to the things we can worry about, from sleeping witches being woken to Atlantis rising from the sea floor..."

A worried look crossed Spirit's face as he said, "And we don't know when he might act..."

"Nope!" Shinigami chirped way too cheerfully before a deeper, darker tone replaced it. "But he will undoubtedly come for his Meister and Kiddo too, if what his weapons said is true. And speaking of this, now might be the best time to bring this up. You all know I have a son, Kid, but I never had a reason nor the will to tell anyone of his older brother Asura. He was Vajra's Meister eight hundred years ago and I had thought he was dead all this time."

Each of the three new Death Scythes had varying looks of shock and surprise etched into their faces. The Reaper gave them a moment to process the information before he continued. "It's one of my top priorities to keep my sons safe from Vajra, especially Asura. It's quite possible that Asura's Madness wavelength could spiral out of control if Vajra gets a hold of him again. And before you ask, he has a Madness wavelength because of his...condition. Since he was born he's had an excessive amount of fear in his soul, everything scares him and it's nearly driven him mad before but he always manages so he isn't a threat."

"..." Azusa fixed her glasses and nodded at the information. Then she pointed at both Stein and Spirit, saying, "This situation is because of their failure. Do you have any ideas for corrective measures?" Stein didn't react but Spirit practically leapt away form the accusation. Shinigami would admit that it was pretty amusing to see.

It was always nice to have such eccentric people when things were getting too serious and he really needed something else to focus on instead of Asura. Because now that he mentioned his son, he felt the need to visit when he couldn't, so a distraction would have to help. Nothing worked better than messing with his personal Death Scythe, so he said, "Hm, let's see..." Right away the scythe flinched like someone was going to hit him.

The Reaper let a pause hang between his next words and the last ones, and Spirit looked more uncomfortable the longer he waited. Until finally he said, "I was thinking of a personal change."

The red haired man looked like someone had just punched him in the stomach, yet he still managed to shout "WHAT?!" If he were anyone else, Shinigami figured he wouldn't be able to keep from laughing as the man laid over the edge of the platform they stood on. But he didn't laugh, instead, he grinned behind his mask.

"No, no Spirit!" He exclaimed loud enough to be heard over the man's depress mumbling. "You'll still be my weapon!" He hoped he sounded reassuring enough to the man because he was trying to be sincere.

"Are you really okay with a guy like me?!" The blubbering man exclaimed, tears and snot dripping down his face as he looked back to the mirror.

For a second, Shinigami wondered if he had gone too far with that, but then again Spirit was always so emotional. "Yes, and of all the Death Scythes, you are the only one who can truly be called a 'Death Scythe'. Take pride in that."

Right away Spirit was knelt before the mirror in something like a bow. A big grin was plastered across his face as he said, "Oh thank you! I'm so happy!" For some reason Justin mimicked the action.

"Good, and in return, I'm going to end your stint as Stein's temporary weapon. From now on try your best to stay at Shibusen." The Reaper commanded. "In addition, I'd like another Death Scythe to stay here as well to reinforce our defense." He glanced over the remaining weapons, already knowing what he planned. "Marie, I'd like you to be Stein's new partner."

"Eh?! Me?! " The blonde woman exclaimed as she pointed to herself. "Oh man...wait a minute! Wait just a minute! I don't want to work! Even the reason I became Oceania's chief is because it's a peaceful area without much work! I don't want a Shibusen post...my marriage will be delayed even further!"

Despite her rant no one really seemed to notice, aside from Stein, who said, "It will be okay, you're a hard worker even if it's unconsciously."

"Don't say that..."

Turning her back to the other woman Death Scythe, Azusa asked, "Shinigami-sama what would you have me do?"

"I'd like you to use the breadth of your world view to try to locate Vajra. And also to take over as the Oceania chief in Marie's absence." The woman nodded and he turned to Justin. "And as for Justin..." He paused, waiting for a response from the blonde man. When he got none, he tried again. "Justin." Still no response, it seemed like he had his headphones in again. When did he put those back in?

Both Azusa and Spirit kicked him in the back, making the weapon topple forward. He hit the floor with a thump, his earphones popping out as he pushed himself up again, Shinigami said, "Well then... Justin, you'll remain in reserve. From now on Shibusen is going to have to change. Our guiding principle is ' _It's a brutal but cheerful life.'._ Well then, dismissed~"

The group began walking away when the shade called after them. "Just a moment, Stein, Spirit. There's some things we need to discuss." The men stopped and Marie did as well, looking back to her newly assigned Meister. The scientist nodded at her and she continued on. Once they were alone, Shinigami asked the professor, "So Stein... what's Asura's condition? Is it bad?" There was a worried undertone to his cheerful voice that he was sure the two could hear.

Stein hesitated for a brief moment, bringing his cigarette up to his lips before realizing that it was all burnt out. The man sighed at that, he had hoped to calm his nerves because he was honestly not looking forward to this. Instead he asked, "Well, let's see, do you want to know his physical state or mental state first?"

"...Physical I guess." The Reaper replied after a moment of thought. The professor nodded then.

"Well the good news is that he's healing quicker without that collar..however I don't think he's always had just the collar. But I'll explain a bit later. Currently there are multiple stab wounds from Medusa's 'Vector Arrow' spell, though I spoke to Liz, who told me some of them were from the Kishin himself. Apparently Asura tried to distract Vajra so they could rescue Kid, and Vajra retaliated. An older wound caused by a bladed weapon, I'd guess a sword from the direction and depth, that's still healing. Then a more recent gash on his arm that reaches the bone..."

With each new injury mentioned, the scientist could feel the Reaper's aura change to something more threatening while Spirit glared at the ground. Still, Stein continued. "And to add to that, there are much older injuries, some suggest that there might have been a matching set of cuffs to go with the collar. There are scarred rings around his wrists that look like the mark around his neck that's just started to heal. Also, I did an X-RAY to check for fractured or broken bones. There are small breaks on the bones in his hands. It's likely he broke his hands to get of them."

"Then there are more scars all across his body and healed fractures in the bone structure. But to be honest, I didn't think it was possible for Death Gods to scar." Stein stated, pausing to gather his thoughts and possibly to get an answer to his unspoken question.

"We aren't supposed to have scars. Not for long anyway. If Asura has scars on him like you say...the wounds would have had to be reopened frequently and probably very deeply." Shinigami's voice was much darker, no cheeriness to it at all, and his head was turned away from the scientist

"So... basically torture...He's just a kid, isn't he?!" Spirit spoke up suddenly, anger obvious in his voice. "Hell how old is he even?"

"Physically, and probably mentally, I'd say late teens. 17 at least, 19 or barely twenty at most." Stein supplied helpfully.

"He was kidnapped by Vajra when he was 16. So I'd say Stein's probably right, though it's more like 19." Shinigami agreed flatly.

"Why...how could anyone do that to a kid...to their own partner..." The red head mumbled just loud enough to be heard. Stein was quick to intervene before Shinigami could.

"Why does one punish a dog that rips up furniture?" Stein asked.

"My son is not a dog." The Reaper growled. Stein nodded.

"I know, but it's the same concept. Like a bad pet, people can be trained. Taught to obey or else they will be punished. That's why the Kishin did this. He wanted Asura's obedience, he wanted him compliant. I think Vajra being sealed may have interrupted his 'training' Asura. Asura learned to fear Vajra's wrath, but he may still have been resisting to some extent. Without the constant threat of Vajra, he grew bold enough to try to escape." The professor lifted his head to stare at Shinigami as he added, "If you had sealed Vajra later, or never had, there's no telling how far he would have gone or what he would have done to Asura."

That last statementsent chills done the shade's spine and he could see Spirit shudder as they both processed the information. The underlying message was clear as day, if he had been any later sealing Vajra, there might not have been enough will for him to try to escape. If he were any later, his son could have been broken beyond repair and the Asura he knew could have been gone forever. "...This is all kinds of fucked up, isn't it?" Spirit asked, and though it was more to himself the Reaper still nodded.

"That it is, Spirit..."

"But on another note," the scientist announced, catching the two's attention again, "Asura's mental state may take a while to fix, but I think he will be better in time. You weren't kidding about his excessive phobias though. He's certainly paranoid, and has some severe anxiety. I wouldn't be surprised if he was prone to panic attacks. I also believe that he's somewhat depressed and occasionally he seems to close himself off, particularly in stressful or frightening situations. I have also noticed some self-destructive behavior too. Isolation and sleep deprivation seem to be his go to methods."

As he finished his report, the man turned to Shinigami. "I would recommend that you talk to him soon too. He seems wholeheartedly convinced that we, and Shibusen are part of and elaborate hallucination designed to trick him or test his loyalty to Vajra. I doubt that this is something that he fabricated on the spot, so Vajra may have used Madness induced hallucinations on him before as a form of punishment. I tried to speak to him about it when I last saw him, but he simply ignored me."

Shinigami nodded slowly, mulling over the new information. So he would have to convince Asura that he wasn't hallucinating before they could even begin to start helping him otherwise. The shade could only hope it wouldn't take long to help him see that this really was real. "I see...well then Stein, you're dismissed. Spirit, you stay." Both men nodded, Spirit staying as he was told while Stein left.

* * *

Okay. He could do this. It wasn't that hard. The Reaper stood before a solid metal door set in the stone wall of his school. It was one of many of the exact same doors scattered all across this floor. He reached out carefully to open the door, only to pull his hand away at the last moment. Maybe he should use his human form for this...yes! While the shade form was incredibly useful, it was also kind of...well, it wasn't very personal. He wanted Asura to feel more comfortable with him so that was the best option.

He shifted back into his human form, reaching up to remove his mask as he entered and closed the door behind him. What greeted him however was an empty room. It was larger than the normal guest rooms, big enough for a bed in the top right corner farthest from the door. There was also a round table with two wooden chairs around it, a small dresser, and a bookshelf. A different door to the side led to a bathroom too, but he didn't sense Asura there. He was somewhere in the seemingly empty room, and there was really only one place to hide that he might fit.

Shinigami placed the mask and hung the cloak off the back of the chair. He knelt down on the ground, peering under the full size bed that was missing it's comforter. Glowing red eyes stared back at him, wide with fear, as he tried to curl even further back into the corner. "Asura?" The Reaper called softly, getting no response from his son. "Asura, I talked to Professor Stein. He told me you think this isn't real. Is that true?"

Asura blinked, the action only noticeable because the red glow vanished. Then he slowly nodded. "Okay...okay then. Can you please come out here so I can talk to you easier? I am getting old you know I probably shouldn't be crawling around on the floor like this." He joked, waving at the younger Reaper to come towards him. Asura seemed to think it over for a moment before he was crawling out from under the bed.

The boy stood carefully, eyeing Shinigami like a cornered animal as he climbed onto his bed. He curled up again in the farthest corner and wrapped the comforter he'd dragged with him around his shoulders. "You are safe here you know. This really is real, I heard you hit your head when Vajra escaped the underground so I doubt you remember much past that." Shinigami started, sitting himself at the edge of the bed.

"You were very lucky, one of the students you met found a way to stall Vajra until I could reach you. Does the name Soul sound familiar?" The man asked, watching Asura's eyes light up in recognition. Slowly he nodded. "Good! Well, they have a magic cat living with them and I guess she was nearby at the time. Soul convinced her to fight Vajra to get you back and I got there in time to help you when she couldn't."

"...o-oh, um...i-is she...okay?" The question was so quiet that Shinigami barely caught it, but he nodded. There was no reason to make his son worry by mentioning that the cat lost another life to help him.

"She's fine now. No need to worry." He reassured. "But I have to ask, you aren't just playing along because you think this is fake, are you?" Asura's gaze shifted from his father to his toes, which poked out from under the blanket. He didn't need to say anything for the man to know what he thought. "C'mon Asura, I know you know better than to believe that right away. Use that amazing Soul Perception of yours! Try to find some of the people you were with on the night of Vajra's revival. Vajra wouldn't have taken all of them and we both know soul waves cannot be faked."

A thoughtful look crossed Asura's face as he weighed his odds. Shinigami was right. The spell's time was almost up when Vajra revived and not everyone was with them. Maka and Soul were closest to them before he passed out. But then, he really didn't want to be proven wrong. He didn't want it to be fake. If it were fake though, Vajra would just grow tired of him not reacting and tear the illusion away anyway, so why not do it himself? At least then it was his choice.

With that in mind he closed his eyes and just searched, looking to pinpoint the souls of the people who were with him that night. He didn't get far though, because the moment he could sense souls outside of the collars range his eyes snapped open. Both hands flew to his neck to check for the collar, only to find bandages wrapped around his neck in it's place. He froze when Shinigami spoke up, "Professor Stein removed it while you were unconscious. We figured that was why you weren't healing properly."

"..." Taking a moment to gather himself, Asura tried to find something to say. It had to be real. It had to be. He never could use Soul Perception in Vajra's hallucinations and then he had sensed other souls nearby. No humans were ever nearby while he was imprisoned. It had to be real then! His father was really real! Really here! He was safe! He was...oh no, he'd been acting horrible since the man walked into his room. What if Shinigami was mad?!

Clapping his hands together in the same prayer style he usually used, Asura gasped sharply. He hadn't been expecting it to hurt to move so quickly. But he still had to apologize, so he hurriedly said, "I'msosorryfather!Ididn'tmeantoberude,Ididntknowitwasreallyreal!IswearI'llneverdoitagainjus-justplease! Don't hurt me!" He remained frozen like that, aside form occasional shivers, while he waited for a response.

"... okay, I'm going to be honest. I barely understood a word of that except for the last part, but it sounds like an apology so I forgive you." Shinigami stated, reaching out and slowly setting a hand on his son's shoulder. It hurt to see the boy jerk away from his touch, but there wasn't much else for them to do besides hold steady. "I won't hurt you either okay? You're already wounded, and I want you to get better. Do you understand?"

Asura nodded slowly and lowered his arms, glancing briefly up at his father before hiding behind his bangs. If he didn't think it would make things worse, the older Reaper would have just reached out and held his frightened son. But it would make things worse he was sure. He could barely handle a gentle touch on his shoulder, who knew how he might react to that. So instead he said, "I heard that you weren't sleeping you know. You need your rest if you want to heal faster."

"I-I-I...I'm sorry..." The boy mumbled, curling away from Shinigami as he spoke. There were tears forming in the corners of his eyes and the man could only watch as Asura continued, "I didn't... I was scared...th-that I would wake up back...back there...that _he_ would be waiting and...and he'd hurt me! N-no more...please d-don't hurt me..no,no,no,no,no..." He wrapped his arms around his legs, trying to shrink into a small, shaking ball.

Shinigami still sat there dumbfounded as he tried to think about what was going on. It wasn't until Asura was gasping for breath like a fish out of water that it sunk in: Asura was having a panic attack. He didn't know what to do, he'd never actually dealt with his panic attacks before even though he knew the boy had them. "Oh...oh my...um, Asura?" He tried calling out softly, raising his voice when that didn't work. "Asura. Hang on okay? I'll, uh... I'll go get Stein! Yes, he'll know what to do!"

Leaping off the bed, the Reaper barely took two steps before Asura shouted, "NO!" He quickly hid his face again. His father couldn't leave! He would be all alone and he couldn't breathe, he was trying but it didn't seem to work. No matter how deep a breath he took he just couldn't get any air past the tightness in his chest. At this rate, he feared he might suffocate. "Stay...h-help..."

The bed dipped and he barely registered his father's bright amber eyes looking at him. "I don't know _how_ to help you. That's why I was going to get Stein." Although that might be out of the question for the moment. Stein was right when he said the Madness of Fear acted up more when Asura panicked. He could already feel it surrounding them, hang around his son like a cloud and trying to frighten the unseen assailant away with illusions.

When the boy shook his head at that, Shinigami relented. "Okay... I'll stay. But you need to try to calm down. You're safe now remember? You don't need to be scared. Just relax." His only response was a high pitched whine as his breathing sped up more. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know if he was making it worse or not. What could he possibly do to calm him now? Carefully, the man reached out to lay a reassuring hand on his son'sown thin hands, but a tap on his shoulder had him freezing inches away.

"Back off old man, you're making it worse." The voice was female, and one he recognized almost instantly. He did as he was told anyhow, and shuffled back to make room. The woman who was quick to take his place looked exactly like he remembered. Her frosty blue, chin length hair framed a thin, pure white face. Her body was covered in red markings, some of which resembled Asura's symbol and the rest as white as snow. Two white hot balls of fire hovered above here head and her only clothing was a large, puffy coat lined with fur.

"Kaguya, it's been awhile." The man said, admittedly a bit relieved. Kaguya should know what to do since she was one of Asura's more active clowns. Surely she's dealt with this before. He really hoped so.

"Don't talk to me." She said, turning around to face the younger Reaper. "It's okay Lord Asura! You're safe here remember? Shinigami is here and so am I, we'll keep you safe if that nasty pervert ever comes back around!" Looking over her shoulder at the man behind her, she added, "I'll distract him with my body and you go for the throat."

"What..."

"K-kaguya... d-don't be...i-inappropriate..." Asura stuttered out, trying to reprimand the clown even in his panic. She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest defensively, deflating slightly when the boy keep gasping for air.

"Moh...fine. But you need to breathe."

"I...I c-c-can't."

Offering a gentle smile, the clown said, "Sure you can! Just take a deep breath and count to four, then let it out and do it again." She didn't like to wait for Asura to calm down, but she had learned to be patient. If he felt rushed, he would panic more, so she couldn't risk rushing him. Instead she waited for his breathing to even out some before saying, "Lord Asura, you know what must be nice about being here now? I bet there's tons of new books for you to read! Like all of those!" She gestured to the shelf across the room.

As Kaguya continued to chatter, with a few reminders to breathe, the younger Reaper slowly relaxed until he was finally calm. Occasionally he still shivered but it was nothing like before. That was when Shinigami dared to speak up. "Asura. I understand you like having Kaguya around for protection and company, but could you send her away for now?"

"Wh-why?" Came the quiet answer, as wide red eyes met orange.

"Because Kaguya radiates Madness, and I don't want her presence driving the students mad. Okay?' Slowly the boy nodded and Kaguya pouted as she dissolved into a cloud of black particles. A few moments of silence passed before Shinigami said. "You look tired Asura. You should probably rest. I was hoping to introduce you to your brother tomorrow, if that's alright with you."

"Um...y-yes? About that...why do I have a brother?" Asura asked cautiously, watching the man's reaction. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it wasn't the gentle smile he got.

"Because I thought you had died. It took almost eight hundred years to get over your death enough to make Kid. If I had known, or even had the slightest idea you were still alive somewhere... I would have sent people to get you. I can't leave this place after all, but I would have had Eibon or someone else find you and bring you home." The man admitted, trying to sound upbeat so Asura wouldn't be scared.

"...okay...And the others...where are they? I-I found Excalibur in a cave and I... I can't sense the other warriors..." Shinigami shifted slightly. Of course he would ask, he remembered them all being there. The longer he waited though, the more restless Asura was getting so he had to say something.

Taking a deep breath, the man said, "They're gone..."

"Gone?"

"Yes. Um, let's see...the rest of the human warriors were killed by Vajra while they were looking for the two of you. And don't even think it was your fault, you didn't kill them." He added that quickly, already seeing Asura's face drop. "Eibon betrayed us to join the witches so he could build one of his demon tools and Excalibur and the Black Mass left a while after I'd sealed Vajra." He explained, careful to keep his voice even despite how mad he felt to think about both traitors. "But it's alright, everything worked out."

"Okay..." Asura agreed, despite the unsure tone to his voice. Everyone he knew was gone now. Honestly he was expecting as much from the humans because they were mortal, but he had hoped the were able to live longer. And the others had left too, Eibon even becoming a traitor... He did not want to think about it. To help distract himself, he asked, "And I can meet my brother tomorrow? um, also...why is his name Kid?"

The older Reaper sighed at the second question. Of course Asura would ask that, it must have sounded ridiculous to him. "Technically his name is Death the Kid. And for your information, I named him that partly to spite Eibon because he talked me out of naming _you_ 'Kid'. Partly because it's easier and I get to call him Kiddo."

"I bet 'Kiddo' would _love_ to know you named him that out of spite." Was the response he got, and he couldn't help smiling at it even though the younger Reaper tried to hide behind his bangs. It still didn't hide the embarrassed blush on his face.

"He's not going to know because you aren't going to tell him." Asura looked up at him, confusion clear on his face. Shinigami was quick to elaborate before he accidentally gave the boy another panic attack. "Kid doesn't know a lot about the past and I'd rather not tell him everything at once. So don't tell him about Eibon being one of the warriors, don't mention the Madness wavelengths, and please don't go telling him anything else about either. Oh, or the fragment thing either. There's really no need to tell him."

For a moment Asura didn't respond, averting his gaze to his hands as a guilty look crossed his face. After thinking it over he said, "...Okay, I won't. But how will I explain Kaguya or my own Madness...I-I know it gets out of control sometimes..."He scratched at his arm nervously.

"I thought about that already. You can probably pass it off as something caused by your fears. I already told some of my subordinates that noticed that it's because you've had more fear in your soul than a normal person since you were born. You can pass Kaguya off as a side effect of the Madness if she ever appears." Shinigami explained, glad to see his son looking relieved. He figured Asura would have appreciated the easy out if people started asking questions. "See, no worries! Everything will be fine."

"...R-right..." Asura nodded in agreement even if every part of him wanted to say differently. It was nice to believe anyway.


	11. Chapter 11

**And this is done! Kid meets Asura for the first time as his brother. I tried to make it a little awkward of a first meeting so I hope I did okay.**

* * *

 _"Hey Kid!" Said boy turned slowly, eyes meeting the blonde girl's next to him. She looked somewhere between pissed and curious as she spoke,t hough he figured the former wasn't his fault when he heard mumbled complaints from the girl's weapon as he rubbed his head. "Um, we were going to get ice cream since our game is over, remember?"_

 _Blinking in surprise, he nodded, "Oh? Right, I'm coming." He was so out of it at the moment, he hadn't noticed that his friends were leaving without him. As he fell into step beside the girl, Maka, he let his mind wander back to his previous thoughts. Something was definitely going on he knew, since Vajra's revival people kept staring at him or whispering. When he asked, they wouldn't answer either. Thankfully Liz had been able to find out what was going on, even if she hadn't been able to tell him. 'It's nothing to worry about Kid, but I can't tell you since it's something your dad swore me and Patty to secrecy about. Besides, it's really something you should hear from him.'_

 _That didn't help much, but at least he knew he would get an answer eventually. "You've been awful quite today Kid, you okay?" This time Soul was the one to speak up, dragging the Reaper's attention back to the conversation. There was a moment of silence between everyone before the albino added, "Are you...thinking about Asura again?" No, but his mind was about to drag him down that road again._

 _"Uh...yeah. I can't help but worry." The boy said. "I blacked out before Liz and Patty got me out of there, but I heard he gave himself up to the Kishin to buy us time to escape. The last thing I remember clearly is that pillar collapsing on them." The three of them, himself and his weapons, had agreed never to talk about how he'd panicked upon waking up in the infirmary because he thought the girls were dead. Apparently it was enough to make even Patty uneasy._

 _"It's okay Kid. I've been there, not being able to help my partner, and it's difficult." Maka stated, patting his shoulder gently. "But Liz and Patty are fine! And I'm sure Asura is fine too, I mean if he were dead, we would have heard about it by now." He nodded, that was true but he still felt responsible._

 _"Oh, by the way, isn't that Asura guy supposed to be really strong?" Black Star asked, glancing back at the shinigami. His eyes flashed, giving away his eagerness to fight the other._

 _Soul nodded, "Yeah, you did say something about him being pretty tough right? So he should be alright." Kid sighed at that. It was expected of Black Star to ask that though._

 _"Black Star, if I can kick your ass, Asura would destroy you." He said, shaking his head at the offended look on his friend's face. "Seriously though, the only person stronger than Asura is supposed to be father so I think it's safe to assume that he's on a completely different level than us. And do not go picking fights with him while he's supposed to be recovering."_

 _The ninja huffed, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. "I won't. It would be a huge disadvantage for that guy to fight me if he's injured anyway. I'm supposed to be a fair god after all, so I'll let him heal first!"_

 _"...right..." The others eyed the blue haired boy warily before nodding._

 _"Ah! Kid, do you think you can find out about Asura? Like...how he's doing or if we can visit him?" Tsubaki asked nervously. Kid stared at he for a moment, debating whether it was worth it or not to try. Slowly the boy nodded. "Thanks, I'm just...well, I would feel better if I could actually see how he is myself. And I would think he might be lonely. It can't be good to leave him alone, since he spent so long on his own."_

 _The young shinigami nodded. He could see the logic behind that, even if the girl was only rambling. "I'll ask father tomorrow, he wanted to speak to me anyway." With the excited smiles and hopeful looks his friends were giving him, he knew he would have to find out one way or another._

* * *

Upon entering the Death Room, Kid was shocked to see his father standing before him in his human form. It was a little jarring to see since the boy had come to associate it with serious, personal, or private matters. Even so, the man's amber eyes seemed brighter than he remembered from the last time he saw them. A large grin was plastered on his face too and he was quick to herd his son to a seat. "C'mon, c'mon Kiddo! Sit! There's something big we need to talk about!"

The boy had no room to protest against being manhandled as he was shoved down to the couch that had just appeared. The older Reaper sat beside him, right on the edge of the seat. "Okay, well Kiddo, I was talking to Spirit and he said I shouldn't just jump right to the point for this sort of thing. So I just want to talk for a bit! How's school been? Are you feeling alright? You did get thrown about quite a bit when Vajra revived. Nothing's been hurting you?"

For a long moment Kid didn't answer, too put off by Shinigami's rapid-fire questions to think straight. Just sat, staring at his father's smiling face while he tried to process everything that had just happened. This strange, jittery side to the man confused him, but there had to be a reason for it. When he realized he hadn't responded, he quickly said, "School is fine..."

"Um...it's just the same old thing, Professor Stein gives us dissection lessons in homeroom. Black Star got detention again. Soul almost got detention again. Uh, Maka lent me a book too, some fantasy story I haven't actually looked at yet..." He ran his hands down the front of his suit then, smoothing out wrinkles that weren't there. Shinigami recognized it as one of Kid's nervous habits. Kid was far too stubborn to admit it but he had a lot and they usually happened when he wanted to say something. The chances of getting his son to share what he was thinking were probably slim but he knew how to get him to speak up, he just had to be patient.

"Good! Glad things are going quite normally for you!" There was the slightest tug of a frown on the boys face, but it was quickly replaced by the previous, neutral expression. "Well then, are you doing alright? Does anything hurt?"

Kid's hand drifted to his chest. "It's fine... doesn't hurt too much anymore. Sometimes it aches a bit but..." He ran a hand down the black fabric again rather absentmindedly.

"Yeah, broken ribs will do that to ya." The man said, ruffling the boy's hair and getting a frustrated groan in response. Kid was quick to fix his hair once Shinigami moved his hand. "And how are you settling in up here? Are the girls doing well too?" Kid bit his lip then, tapping on his leg with one hand eight times before he stopped and mimicked it with the other.

"Liz and Patty are okay. Liz is still a little shaken up and jumpy though." He stated simply, not sure what else to say. The other question hit him and he started tapping his fingers again, not really wanting to answer.

"Kid?" When the boy looked up at the sound of his name, Shinigami said, "Go ahead, tell me what's wrong." Kid bit his lip again and straightened his clothes again. It seemed like he was debating whether or not to say what he wanted.

Finally the young Reaper sighed. "It's a few things. I want to go home, back to the manor. I don't understand why we can't rest at home." Kid started, taking a deep breath before he added, "And I wanted to ask you about Asura. We haven't heard anything about him since the revival and everyone is worried."

'... I'm sorry Kiddo, I know you want to go back home, but I'm not willing to put your safety at risk. This kind of ties into what I wanted to talk to you about too." The boy perked up slightly after hearing that and the Reaper smiled. "This also involves Asura, so I'll start with that."

Shinigami received a nod at that, so he began. "When you came to me, demanding to know about Vajra do you remember what I said about Asura?" Kid nodded again.

"You said he was your apprentice. And that he was scared of everything, and that he was very powerful among other things." Kid stated, watching the man scratch the back of his head almost nervously.

"Well, yes, that's true. However, I left out one teensy little...major important detail about Asura. While he was still my apprentice, he was also much more. He's...ah, well he's my son and your older brother." Shinigami paused after that, watching as the information seemed to sink in. Kid blinked once, twice, then shifted his gaze to his hands that were folded neatly in his lap.

"Oh..." Was the oddly quiet response he got and the Reaper began counting backwards in his head. 5, 4, 3, 2, and- "HE'S WHAT?! What do you mean he's my brother?! Why didn't you say something?!" Kid shouted, leaping to his feet and rounding on his father angrily. He tried to find something anything that he missed during his encounters with the older boy that might have hinted at it.

That explained why Asura looked so familiar when he caught a glimpse under his hood. He had similar features that he could see in his father and himself. All three shared the same eye and face shape, but his own hair was longer than Asura's and Shinigami's. However, Asura was much thinner than himself and his father. And of course that's why his hair was black and white! As far as Kid knew, only Reapers had hair like that because of the presence of the Sanzu Lines. Now he felt stupid.

"Why didn't you tell me? Does anyone else know?" The boy asked, quieter now than before. He looked hurt and shocked, both of which the Reaper found understandable. "I'm sorry, I just...a brother... it's strange to think that I have a brother..."

"It's alright Kiddo. I know this is sort of a lot to take in. I never told you because I never saw the point. When I still thought he was dead, it seemed senseless to tell you that you had a brother you would never meet. And before he came here, I wasn't entirely sure still. I didn't want to get your hopes up only to find out he wasn't Asura." Shinigami explained, leaving out the fact that he just didn't like talking about his older son.

Kid nodded, finding it reasonable enough to understand. He supposed he wouldn't want to bring up something like that either. "What about the manor, what does Asura have to do with not being allowed to go home?" He asked, sitting down again and fixing his gaze on his father. The man frowned immediately, one hand clenching into a fist.

"Okay, well, I originally called you here to tell you about your brother, but there's a few things I need to share before you can go meet him. No-"

"I can meet him? Today right?" Kid asked once the words left his father's mouth, his previous question forgotten for the moment with the change of subject. He knew he shouldn't have interrupted, but his curiosity was making him excited to meet the older boy again. This time as family.

"Kid. I know you're curious and all but please listen carefully." The man scolded.

"Sorry father."

"Now where was I? Oh yes! When Stein was treating Asura's wounds he noticed an older one that should have been healed a long time ago. In fact, his healing was incredibly slow compared to your recovery. After a while he figured out that something was blocking Asura's powers. It explains why he didn't just pinpoint the city and fly home the day he escaped. Or why he couldn't escape sooner. That 'something' turned out to be this." Shinigami reached under the couch and pulled out a plastic gallon bag. He handed it to Kid, who reached out and took it gingerly.

Inside were two halves of a metal ring that seemed just big enough to fit around his neck. The outside was covered in symbols he recognized from Vajra's revival and the inside was stained a rusty red, black in some places. He opened the bag and glanced up at his father, who nodded. Carefully he grabbed one half but didn't get it out before he dropped it again. The bag hit the ground with a loud clang as Kid looked turned to his father for an answer to what he just felt.

He had never really noticed how far exactly his Soul Perception reached until he felt it's range shrink to almost nothing. And then there was the static feeling crawling up his arms, like pins and needles. "What the fuck was that?" He mumbled, eyeing the metal cautiously as if it was going to bite him.

"Like I said, it's why Asura couldn't come home sooner. It's some sort of sealing spell carved into the collar. I've never seen one so detailed before." The Reaper mused, reaching out to pick the bag up off of the floor. "I am going to have this locked up tightly as far from the world as possible. Stein wants to study the spell before I have it destroyed. We don't need any of our enemies getting ahold of this after all, but it would help to see if we could counter it's effects just in case."

"C-collar?" Sure he had already guessed that much, but hearing it said out loud was much worse. "That's...is he okay? Asura I mean...he's going to be okay?" Shinigami's silence was not reassuring in the least.

The shade spoke up after a moment of thought. "Honestly, your brother's a mess right now. I...he..." The man had to pause, choking back the anger and disgust he felt when thinking about his next words. "Kid, he was literally tortured before I sealed the Kishin, and he's been isolated from any form of contact for eight hundred years. I won't lie, it will not be easy to help him. When you meet him, avoid talking about Vajra, or anything else from back then. And if he brings something up try to change the subject. He was prone to random panic attacks before all this, but they were never like the one he had when I saw him yesterday."

"Okay. Okay...I can do that. Can the others meet him though?" Kid asked.

"I suppose, but don't bring them all at once. I don't want to overwhelm him." Shinigami said, smiling as Kid nodded. "Okay, and Kid? You can't go back to the manor yet because Vajra knows the layout, which is almost the same as it was eight hundred years ago. On top of that, it would take longer for me to reach you than if you're here with me and if he could hide your brother from me, surely he could hide himself. I really am sorry, but I have to keep you safe."

"...I understand." Kid said, though the frown on his face made it obvious that he wasn't pleased with the answer. "So...can I go see Asura?" Shinigami nodded, standing up and picking the plastic bag up again.

"Sure thing! This-a-way Kiddo!" The man exclaimed, leaving his son to scramble to his feet and hurry after him.

* * *

Asura wasn't sure how long he'd been awake, but he kind of, sort of figured it had been a few hours. He still didn't trust this place enough to use the bed properly, preferring to sleep sitting in the corner with his back against the wall and his knees pulled up to his chest. He rarely moved from the spot, never knowing what or who to expect. Thankfully it had only really been that teacher...Stein, he thought. The man came in earlier in the day to change his bandages, but Asura had refused to let him close. There was something he didn't like about the man, maybe it was the glint of madness in his eyes that he hadn't noticed when they first met?

It didn't matter, he was probably being paranoid. The Reaper glanced up at the door, half expecting his father to come strutting in with his brother in tow. It hasn't happened yet, but it would soon right? Shinigami promised, he had to show up with his brother, right? ... maybe not, he'd made promises before that never happened. Despite his efforts to not get his hopes up, Asura could feel that very emotion and the nervous anticipation pooling in his gut. The combination made him somewhat nauseous.

Thankfully, he didn't have time to make it worse by worrying as the door to his room swung open then. His head snapped up and his red eyes met a shimmering yellow-gold. The younger boy carefully closed the door, breaking eye contact for only a brief moment. Soon enough he was facing the older Reaper again, scrutinizing every detail of the boy who was supposed to be his brother. He could certainly see the similarities, but there were a few things that threw Kid off.

The first thing he noticed was that Asura had a third eye, right in the middle of his forehead. It was the same rose red as the other eyes, but it lacked the strange white marks around the pupils. Kid found himself wondering how/why those marks were there when the only real oddity in his own and their father's eyes were the slightly darker rings in the iris. His brother shifted nervously and hugged his knees tightly to his chest, ducking his head a bit so his bangs fell over the third eye and hid it from view.

The next thing Kid noticed was the two full stripes in the other's hair. He was completely missing the third stripe though, and some part of Kid told him that was wrong. The feeling was shoved to the side by the pleasing thought that his brother's appearance was perfectly symmetrical as far as he could see. So figuring that he had been quiet long enough, the boy said, "Hello again Asura." He even tried to smile at the other.

Asura didn't answer at first. He found he couldn't. Since he was told that he would be meeting his brother for the first time as _brothers_ , the Reaper had been thinking about what he wanted to say to the boy. However now that his brother really was standing there in front of him, he couldn't seem to find any of the words he'd planned to use. But the younger shinigami was waiting for a response. With an undignified squeak, he returned the greeting. "...h-hello, brother..." Almost immediately, a pink blush dusted his cheeks and he hid his face entirely.

"Ah! Hey wait! I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?!" Kid asked, slightly alarmed by his brother's actions. He tried to think of what he could have said, but all he did was greet the older boy. Using his Soul Perception, Kid focused it on his older brother. Where his own soul was a bright, shining gold, Asura's was dull. It was still gold, like all Reaper souls, but it seemed to be worryingly lackluster in it's color and smaller than his own. The soul shook and shivered constantly and that was when he realized what Shinigami meant by 'Asura is scared of everything'. Did that mean...? "Are...are you scared of me?"

There was a sharp gasp from the other Reaper, but it wasn't until Kid sat himself on the bed that he raised his head enough so one could see his eyes. Besides the third one, he was intent on hiding that one for now. "...I...I'm afraid to...to mess this up...I apologize. I did not mean to make you worry..." Kid stared at the red eyed boy, surprised to have gotten an answer. The he offered what he hoped looked like a reassuring smile. It seemed to work, he caught the corners of Asura's mouth curl up just barely.

"It's alright. Um, I'm sorry too. I... well, I'm not sure what I'm doing really. I never had a brother before and I am not sure what to say." The younger shinigami admitted, smoothing out the imagined wrinkles in his clothes.

"I've never had a brother either... I apologize if I make a mistake." Asura replied quietly, eyeing his brother like a cornered animal would watch a predator. Kid almost sighed at the action, but stopped himself. If he did, Asura might think Kid was disappointed in him and not that he was disappointed that his brother was so nervous around his own family.

The younger boy simply said, "You don't have to apologize all the time you know. I don't exactly expect you to be the perfect brother after we just met."

"Oh, okay...sorry..." Asura mumbled absentmindedly, a moment later realizing he had done exactly what he was he was asked to stop. "Ah! Sorry! um..I-I mean...uh...sor-" The older shinigami finally clamped one hand over his mouth to keep himself from saying any more and averted his gaze to his feet. He couldn't stop thinking that he'd already messed up badly and that Kid didn't like him. Why couldn't he just act normal for once? Sure Asura knew it wasn't really his fault, but he should be able to control his own fears enough to act normal, right?

Kid just sat watching his brother. It was strange to think he even had a brother, he was so used to being an only child. What did brothers talk about? Kid wasn't sure, but he could see the silence was starting make his brother restless as the boy kept shifting and picking at his clothes. So, Kid blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"My friend Black Star really wants to fight you." As soon as those words left Kid's lips, he felt like banging his head against the wall. What the hell was he thinking, telling his easily frightened brother one of his friends wanted to fight him? It was such a dumb thing to do!

Thankfully Asura didn't seem to be too upset, instead he lifted his head and asked, "Black Star...? Was...was that the blue haired ninja with the Nakatsukasa weapon partner?" For a long second, Kid was floored. He hadn't expected that to be what caught Asura's attention.

Clearing his throat, the younger boy said, "Yeah that's Black Star. His weapon is Tsubaki. How did you know she was from the Nakatsukasa clan?" Asura's hand twitched and he took a sharp breath, surprised by the question.

"Um...I-I saw her partner wielding the cursed sword...it's a weapon form exclusive to the Nakatsukasa clan and a sign of their relation to D-group weapons. Or, that's what I was told." He stated, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "I don't know much about it though, I wish I could tell you more about it. It really is strange." The Reaper risked a glance at his little brother, and suddenly he felt a surge of pride. Kid was sitting there staring at him with undivided attention, clearly interested in what he had said. He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face.

"Can you tell me what you know?!" Kid asked and Asura was about to respond before he realized he might be walking on thin ice with this conversation. His grin fell quickly and he looked anywhere but at Kid. He did want to tell Kid everything, just so he could see that look of excitement. To know he made his brother so happy, it felt nice...but if he kept talking about it he might say something he wasn't supposed to. He was told Kid didn't know everything about the past.

When he didn't explain it right away, Kid's expression dropped to one of disappointment. With a panicked squeak, Asura said, "I'll tell you later! I swear! I-I... I just don't feel comfortable talking about it right now... I really am sorry brother." He sighed in relief when his brother's face softened, a look of understanding cutting through the disappointment in his eyes.

"Fine, but I'll hold you to that." The boy relented, any last lingering bitterness washing away at the bright grin on Asura's face.

"Thank you...um, do you think you can tell me about your friends? I-If that's alright with you of course!" The last part was hastily added as an afterthought. Still, Kid nodded.

"Sure, I'll start with Black Star. He's loud, annoying, and way too energetic. Everything is always a competition with him and he loves to boast about how 'great' he is. He also likes challenging people stronger than him and we've fought quite a bit." Kid explained, making air quotes as he said the word 'great'. "But he's never afraid to say what he wants to, even if it would be better to keep quiet. It a double edged sword. And he always stands up for what he believes in."

"Tsubaki is nice, and she's a very welcoming person. Sometimes she can be a bit shy, but it's never been a problem. You'll like her I'm sure." He reassured the other Reaper. "And Maka is okay too, except when you piss her off. She'll hit you with a book, calls it a 'Maka Chop'. Usually she hits Soul or Black Star because they like to tease her. Otherwise she's pretty nice and understanding. Also she really likes to read. Her weapon is Soul, he's nice too. He can be considerate when he wants to be. Usually he's too busy picking on Maka and trying to be cool."

Asura nodded slowly, smiling slightly. He decided he liked it when Kid talked about his friends. There was a look of joy in his gold eyes to match the smile on his face. It was comforting to see his brother smile. "What about your weapons? What are they like?" If he thought Kid looked excited a moment ago, he was even more enthusiastic now.

"You mean Liz and Patty? They're the best weapons. Not only are their weapon forms perfectly symmetrical, but they were my first real friends. I mean, after I was sent to apprehend them and they tried to mug me. It's fine now and I've been in worse situations before." The boy said, trailing of slightly as he mentioned how he met his weapons. He wasn't sure how Asura would feel about knowing that the girls were criminals before. "Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to Liz first, maybe tomorrow if that's fine with you. Liz is the older sister and she's much calmer than Patty. And Patty isn't too bad, she's just very hyper."

"I wouldn't mind... will you be there too? I don't want to say something wrong..." The older boy stated, glancing up at Kid for a brief moment before looking away again. Deciding to test his boundaries a bit, Kid shuffled closer. Asura immediately looked at him, curling back slightly before taking a shaky breath and forcing himself to relax a little. "M-maybe not tomorrow... I... I am not even used to you yet... sorry..."

Kid only nodded. "It's alright, if you would rather wait I don't mind." He could hear the relieved sigh from his brother then and he remembered that he couldn't get too ahead of himself. Their father had said to try not to overwhelm him. Maybe he could find something for his brother to do tomorrow. "So was there anything you used to like to do?"

"Um... I-I liked to read mostly... or draw when I was bored, though I wasn't very good. W-we were all very busy with...well, everything...um, I also used to lay on the roof of the Manor at night and watch the stars." Asura said, unconsciously sitting up straighter and uncurling a bit. "Or walking around when no one else was awake and exploring..."

"Well, I'm not sure about the exploring, but I can get you new books and maybe something to draw with." The younger Reaper offered, surprised by how quickly his brother perked up.

"Really?!" He asked, leaning forward slightly with a hint of excitement in his voice. "You can?! Oh, please can you bring some tomorrow? Wait, will you be back tomorrow? Please come back, it's so quiet and lonely and I don't like it. I keep hearing things and it's scary a-and..." Asura trailed off, ducking his head again and actively avoiding Kid's gaze.

Offering the kindest smile he could, Kid nodded. He was admittedly surprised by the sudden question, but supposed the oddly desperate request was to be expected. Asura was all alone here, probably not seeing any one but Shinigami and maybe a couple teachers. "Of course I'll be back. I might come a bit later tomorrow though, because classes are supposed to start up again. Which means that there will be a lot of people here tomorrow. I figured you should know just so you're not surprised."

"O-oh... okay. Th-thank you for telling me..." The older boy mumbled. Neither knew what to say after that, and an awkward silence quickly filled the room. Asura slowly grew tense again and Kid couldn't think of anything else that he could talk to him about. Now agitated by his on inability to help his brother, Kid tried to find something, anything to talk about. Instead of finding something useful, his eyes landed on the disorganized mess that was Asura's bookcase. He felt his right eye twitch, biting his lip and slowly tapping on his left leg to try to keep from having one of his 'fits', as Liz so kindly put it.

It seemed Asura had picked up on his brother's anxiety though, as he risked a glance at the boy. "Um..b-brother...?" He tried, slowly looking between Kid and the shelf that seemed to earn his ire. The younger boy didn't even seem to hear him, but he still added, "Please don't glare holes through my books. I am quite fond of them."

Kid's gaze flickered from the bookshelf to his brother, and there was a heart-stopping moment where the boy's glare was set on Asura. Then his eyes softened and he looked away. "Ah, sorry...I got a bit distracted." Kid tried to brush it off as easily as he could, but his irritation at the mess was still going full force. He began tapping on his other leg this time.

"Is... is something wrong?" Asura asked slowly, trying to be careful. However Kid took the question as his chance to finally go off.

"YES!" Kid shouted, throwing both of his arms out before using them to gesture wildly at the shelf. Asura reeled back in a mix of shock and fear, startled by the sudden shout. "That shelf! It's completely disorganized! Honestly there's no order to it at all. Not by size or color! Not even alphabetical order by title or author! How can you live like this!?" Hastily getting to his feet, Kid approached the shelf. He glared at it again before turning to ask if there was any reason his brother kept it like this.

As he faced Asura again, he couldn't help the guilty feeling stabbing into his chest. The older Reaper was pressed as far back into the corner as he could go, with his eyes blown wide and arms ridged at his sides. One leg was still tucked close to his chest while the other stretched out a bit, like he used it to push himself back. Swallowing nervously, Kid asked, "...Asura? Are you okay?" It took a moment for him to respond, but eventually Asura looked up and blink owlishly at the boy.

Taking a shaky breath, he quietly replied, "F-fine...I...I'm fine..." Kid looked on, unconvinced, as he took deep breaths to steady himself. He was not going to panic like he did in front of their father. Kid did not need to see him like that. "I...I put them in the order I wanted to...to read them...I'm finished with them all though...s-s-so...um, y-you can rearrange them. If you'd like to that is..." With a somewhat hesitant nod, Kid turned around and started pulling books off the shelf.

He had quickly lost himself to the familiar comfort cleaning and organizing gave him. It helped him clear his mind when he couldn't think straight and he could usually figure things out better while focusing on the chores he set for himself. Currently he was reminding himself to be more considerate where his brother was involved, it certainly wouldn't do if Asura was too scared of him to accept his help. Eventually Kid ran into a problem with his self designated task, he couldn't reach the top shelf enough to pull the books down. Kid looked around the room, spotting the chairs around he table. He moved to grab one, but when he turned around he flinched back and squeaked. Asura was standing where he just was, looking anywhere but at Kid with his arms full of books.

"Geez, you scared me..." The boy sighed, shaking his head. He hadn't heard any movement from his brother and he didn't know if he was that focused on organizing the books, or if Asura was just that quiet. The older Reaper glanced up at him for a moment, guilt flashing in his eyes before he lowered them to stare at the ground. "It's alright you know. Just...make some noise next time. It's not a good idea to sneak up on some of the people here."

"O-okay..." Asura mumbled, offering the books to Kid. "I...um, I'll try. H-here."

"Oh, thank you. Would you mind getting the rest of those for me?"He asked, watching the older boy glance at the shelf before looking back at him. Then he turned, pulling books from the shelf and handing them off to Kid. In a few minutes he had finished and turned to Kid with a small smile.

"Th-that's the last one..." He announced quietly, hurrying back to his preferred corner of his bed. Kid muttered a quick thanks and went back to his task, sorting through each book and setting them back on the shelf. This time he actually used the chair to reach the higher shelves so he wouldn't have to bother his brother with the task.

Finally finished, Kid announced, "There! Finished! That's so much better!" Turning to face Asura once again, he grinned. "Don't you think so?" Asura looked up curiously from his own task of tying knots in his dirty scarves. He had been slowly unraveling them to start over when Kid spoke up again.

"Huh?" His red eyes landed on the shelf and then flickered to Kid, who looked very proud of himself. "O-oh! Y-yes? Thank you brother..." The Reaper trailed off, his voice getting quieter as he shifted restlessly. Kid seemed to glow with pride, obviously enjoying the thanks he got. Asura had to wonder if anyone else had ever reacted positively to his brother's quirks. He knew many people had found his own to be a bother, maybe his brother had the same problem? Even though he wanted to, he didn't ask. It could be a touchy subject and he wasn't about to ruin the first new relationship he'd had since he got free.

"Good!" The boy exclaimed, quickly fixing his suit. "Well, I have been here for a while, so I should probably go...uh, okay, this is bothering me though. Your scarf is a mess, would you mind if I took it to clean it?" He watched Asura hesitate and tacked on, "I'll try to have it back later tonight or tomorrow morning, I promise." A moment of silence passed before Asura slowly pulled it off and folded it carefully, then handed it to Kid. "Okay, thanks. I'll see you later."

"G-good bye..." Was the quiet reply he got, and he glanced back one more time before the door closed to see the older boy slowly curling up in his corner.

* * *

 **Up Next:** **Kid and Asura spend some time together. And maybe, probably Liz and Patty.**


	12. Chapter 12

**So, since Seshat-Ra PMed me asking to use this AU, I figured I'd say this real quick.**

 **If you wanna use the Kishin Vajra AU, just credit me for it. You can also use the alternative version found as a short story in my drabble thing, "Asura Story Stuff" (Chapter 4. It's a darker version where Asura still eats Vajra, but because he found out Vajra was a Kishin and panicked. Vajra possesses him then). I would actually love it just because I like seeing things like my AU. It's fun.**

 **Also, I'm on an AU streak lately and have been making drabbles of some of the Ideas. Thanks for reading, love you guys!**

* * *

Sitting in class was slowly starting to make Kid anxious. Normally he would be fine, but he had promised to return his brother's scarf and had missed his opportunity to do so that morning. So instead, he'd folded it up and tucked it into the bag he brought with him. It had taken hours to clean it to the point he'd managed. If it was white before, it was impossible to restore it's original color. It was a shock to see so many blood stains on the cloth and they just wouldn't wash out. Well, at least until Liz walked in to find him angrily scrubbing at the cloth. _"No, no, you won't get the stain out like that. Try lemon juice and baking soda. That usually works for me."_ She had said. It worked well enough.

Honestly, Kid wanted to get rid of the damn thing since it was ruined anyway, but he doubted Asura would appreciate it. The older Reaper was attached to the scarf, if his hesitance to hand it over was any indication. He wondered why, but it wasn't that important he supposed. The boy was ripped from his thoughts when a scalpel buried itself in the wooden desk in front of him. "Pay attention Kid." Stein called, turning back to the board once he got a mumbled apology.

Without the teacher's attention on him now, Liz leaned over. "Psst, Kid. What's in the bag?" The blonde asked, pointing to the object in question. The boy raised an eyebrow before glancing over to Stein. The man still had his back turned to them so he leaned closer to his weapon and covered his mouth as he spoke.

"Nothing really, just some things for Asura." He whispered before he realized what he was saying.

"Ah...so you finally found out. Was that why your dad wanted to see you yesterday?" She asked, receiving a glare that told her all she needed to know. Yes, Kid knew he had a brother and he also must have realized that was what her and Patty had been hiding from him. Even with the withering glare, she couldn't keep the grin from her face. "So tell me, how did it go?"

Kid bit back the growl he wanted so badly to use, opting for an angry huff instead. "You knew damn well it was, didn't you? And for the record, it went about as smooth as you would expect considering he was locked away from people for eight hundred years." Liz only rolled her eyes, before turning to face the front of the room, with Kid mimicking her action. "... but it wasn't all bad. I mean, he talked to me and let me rearrange his bookshelf and take his scarf to wash. And he even helped me with the second thing."

"Oh really? Wait...is that where that ratty old thing you were washing last night came from? I was wondering why you were still trying to clean it when you usually throw things in better condition away." The teasing tone was not lost on the Reaper, but it still was enough for his frown to deepen.

"I really want to Liz, it's disgusting and the stains are asymmetrical and it's ripped in more places than I can count!" The boy growled quietly before adding, "I haven't thrown it out yet because I really don't want to ruin this before I even get to know him. He was so hesitant to hand it over, it's obviously something important to him."

"At least you're trying to be considerate." The girl stated, smiling. Unsure of what else to say Kid nodded along, though he was still mad that they didn't tell him when they knew Asura was his brother. "Stop glaring Kid, it's not that big a deal. Besides, would you really have wanted to find out from us?" With a sigh, the Reaper boy shook his head.

"I guess not...but still."

"But nothing, it wasn't our place is all I'm trying to say. But anyway, let's talk about something else. Like, you said Asura's scarf was ripped? I could fix it during lunch." Liz offered, watching Kid's eyes light up.

"Could you?! I think he'd like that and I don't know how to sew." The boy answered, getting a nod in response. Then he felt something bounce off his shoulder and he checked on the Professor's position. Turning around, he saw Maka, leaning as far over her desk as she could without drawing attention to herself.

"Hey, I heard you mention Asura...is he okay?" The younger girl asked, tilting her head slightly as Kid nodded and smiled as best he could. "Good... that's good I was worried. Oh! But Liz, if you're fixing his scarf for him could you also sew this other piece back on? I-I've kind of had it since the Kishin's resurrection and I wanted to give it back when we saw him again." She pulled out the object she was referring to and showed the other two.

Liz refused to take it however, saying, "Give it to me after class Maka. I don't want to get in trouble." Maka nodded, understanding her concern. Their conversation was cut short as Stein turned around, and they decided to meet up after class.

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The bell rang and, just as she'd promised, Maka handed over the piece of scarf. Taking it from the girl, Liz then held her hand out for the other end. Her Meister cautiously handed it to her, almost like he was worried that it would crumble to dust. It was surprisingly intact despite its condition when one consider it was eight hundred years old. But Liz didn't really care, she had a job to do. Meanwhile, the others were quick to corner Kid.

The shinigami was surrounded by his friends, trying to answer each of their questions about his brother. Black Star, unsurprisingly, was the most persistent with Maka making a close second. "Okay guys just wai-"

"Nuh-uh, you promised yesterday to find out for us! How much longer are ya gonna make us wait?!" The blue haired boy asked, placing his hands on his hips and leaning forward. His eye were narrowed as he growled, his face inches from Kid's. The boy in question leaned back in an attempt to put distance between them. "C'mon! Is he down for a fight?"

Glaring at his friend, Kid pushed him back. "Okay, first off nobody is fighting Asura. One, because he doesn't need that kind of stress and two, he might accidentally kill you. This whole thing messed him up pretty badly and he might not take too well to being in a fight." The boy said, shaking his head. "Second, he is okay for the most part but he doesn't want to meet anyone else yet until he gets used to me. Not even Liz and Patty."

"Oh yeah? And what makes you so special that you get to see the guy whenever?" The ninja shot back. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed.

"Well, he's apparently my older _brother_ , so I've got more right to visit him first." Kid shot back. He wasn't expecting to see his friends' eyes widen at that, having assumed they knew like Liz and Patty had.

Maka was the first one to speak up and break the shocked silence. "Asura's your brother?" The boy nodded hesitantly, feeling a little bit guilty for snapping at them.

"Yes, he is. Father told me yesterday and let me meet him. I'm supposed to visit him again after classes. I know you guys want to meet him, but it has to wait until he's a little more comfortable with me. He is really nervous and I don't want to overwhelm him after everything he's been through." The Reaper fixed his gaze on the floor as he relaxed.

"That's perfectly understandable Kid," Tsubaki said, placing a hand on her Meister's shoulder when he looked ready to argue. The blue haired boy relaxed a bit, but still pouted like a spoiled child. "Whenever you think it's fine, just let us know ahead of time."

"I will."

Soul leaned over next. "Now that that's out of the way, what's in the bag? I've never seen you carry one around before." For a moment the Reaper said nothing, not entirely sure what his friend meant.

"Huh? Um...some things for Asura. He told me he was bored last night, being confined to the one room and all, so I got him a few things." The dark haired boy explained. "Um, some new books, some drawing things, and I thought he might like puzzles to keep himself busy."

"Wow, boring stuff." Black Star stated, quickly losing interest in the conversation. Ignoring Kid's glare, he strode down the hallway, calling back over his shoulder. "Well anyway, I'm hungry! See ya around! Let me know if he's ever down for a fight!" The boy didn't even stick around to hear the Reaper sigh, disappearing around the corner.

"I'm so sorry for him... he's been anticipating a fight with your brother since he realized he would be a strong opponent." Tsubaki apologized for her Meister's actions, bowing slightly. Kid smiled and nodded in understanding and the girl was quick to excuse herself. "I should go catch up to him then, before he gets himself detention."

The small group waved her goodbye for the moment before focusing back on their conversation. "I think that's sweet of you Kid. It must be really weird having a brother all off a sudden. Especially an older brother. I bet he'll like what ever you give him." Maka said, smiling gently.

"I bet you could give him a banana and he'd be ecstatic." Soul stated, though it was followed by a shout of pain and his Meister yelling 'Maka Chop'. The albino held his head in his hands as he said, "Dammit! I just meant he seems like the kinda guy to appreciate any sort of gift! Even something as simple as fruit! You didn't have to assault me!" And from there their conversation devolved into less serious matters, the familiarity relaxing to them all.

* * *

Asura had been on edge, more so without his scarves. He had taken to wrapping himself in his bedsheets in an attempt to make up for the missing item. Kid hadn't returned the night before or that morning like he promised, but he'd been telling himself that there must have been a reason. Like maybe Kid was late to class and didn't get to stop by, or maybe it was taking longer to clean than he'd hoped.

The sound of another bell made him jump and squeak, curling tightly around himself as he tried to steady his breathing. He really hated the noise, cutting through the silence so suddenly that he couldn't help but fear the next one. Sure he knew they were timed, but they always managed to startle him. A few minutes passed without another sound and he began to wonder why, normally there was another one about three minutes after. Maybe the classes were over?

If that was the case, then Kid was coming soon! The Reaper leapt off the bed then, nervous anticipation slowly sinking in. He quickly fixed his bed, putting the sheets on as straight as possible and tucking in the loose ends. Kid liked things to be neat and clean, and that was the only thing that he had really messed up. Not being covered by the blankets made him uneasy but he should be getting his scarves back soon so it should be okay.

He sat himself cross-legged on the bed, but soon shifted back to his usual position with his knees drawn up to his chest. The minutes slowly ticked by and just when he was starting to worry the door opened to reveal his brother. Unlike yesterday he was carrying a black satchel with him, which he slung over the back of a chair.

Looking to the bed, Kid quickly spotted his brother, still curled around himself but surprisingly not backed into a corner. Instead he sat in the middle, straightening up and offering a shy smile in greeting. "Hi Asura, how are you?" Kid asked as he dug around in the bag he brought.

"...um, I-I'm fine. Just a little bored..." The older boy responded, looking anywhere but at Kid. "How about you? Were...were your classes alright?" He watched his brother carefully, trying to figure out what he could have brought.

"It was fine. I already know most of what we're learning so it isn't hard. My friends were asking about you though. They were worried since we didn't hear anything about what happened to you until yesterday." Kid explained, smiling as he found what he was looking for. He held it up triumphantly.

Asura immediately leapt to his feet, snatching his scarf back and wrapping it around his neck a few times. He buried his face in the cloth once he was happy with it, toying with the ends until his hand brushed over a small section of stitches. Carefully inspecting it, he realized someone had sewn on the piece he'd lost during the battle with Medusa a few days ago. "... y-you fixed it?" It was quiet, but Kid still heard it.

"Actually my weapon Liz did. I don't really know how to sew." He scratched the back of his head nervously, kicking at the floor.

"Oh...well, c-could you thank her for me? I'm glad to have it back together." Asura asked, earning a nod from his brother.

"I will." The younger Reaper promised, adding, "If you don't mind me asking, why are you so attached to that scarf? You don't have to answer, I'm just curious."

A look of surprise crossed the older boy's face then and he blinked before looking away. "Oh, um, I-If was a gift..." When Kid raised an eyebrow curiously, Asura elaborated. "Father gave it too me...I had one like it before but it was ruined. I was very upset about losing it so he gave me a new one. I-it was the last present he gave me before the war against the witches got worse."

"Oh." Was all Kid said. He couldn't think of anything else at that moment. The older shinigami only nodded awkwardly, turning to climb back onto his bed a second later. Instead he was stopped by Kid, who motioned to the table. "How about you sit with me? I've got some other things for you."

There was a moment where Asura hesitated, looking between the table and the bed. Finally he nodded, taking the seat that faced the door to the room. Kid suppressed a proud smile, instead retrieving his bag and sitting opposite his brother. The younger boy took a moment to observe Asura, watching him shift awkwardly in his seat and toy with his scarf. The older boy looked nervous and a few moments later he shuffled around in the chair so he could curl in on himself.

Finally, he decided to speak up. "Um... b-brother? What... what else did you bring for me?" His voice was shaky and Asura cursed himself for it. He had to speak a little clearer. A little louder. Stutter less. Like normal people do. Like Kid does. " ...s-sorry, I mean if it's okay with you."

"Of course it's okay, I brought it for you. Here," Kid reassured, reaching behind him to grab the bag and setting it in his lap as he dug around inside. The younger Reaper began pulling out everything he'd packed, a small stack of books, a few different boxes, and a small leather bound journal all were lined up neatly in front of him. The first thing he offered was the journal. "This is just a blank journal. I know you've been through a lot and I'm sure you don't want to talk about it, so... I thought you might feel better if you wrote it down? I swear I won't tell anyone else about it and I won't look. You can also hide it somewhere since it's so small."

Asura took it carefully, leafing through the blank pages. When Kid spoke again, he set it down and focused on the next item his brother offered. The stack of books was pushed his way as Kid said, "And these are your new books. They're all fiction, except the one history book in there. That's just a relatively general summary of things that have happened. If you want something more in depth, just ask. I didn't know what kind of books you would like so I just picked up a few I liked."

With a nod Asura shuffled through the pile, stopping at the only paperback book in it. The cover page showed a person with pure white skin, hair, and clothes running away from other beings in a black and white world while holding the hand of a different being with gray skin and tri-colored wings. ***** Upon opening it, he found it was full of pictures instead of words. He tilted his head in confusion and Kid must have noticed because he stood from his seat to stand by his side.

"Right you didn't have things like this. It's a comic book, this one reads from left to right. Like this." Taking the book from his brother, Kid held it open with one hand and used the other to indicate the direction one would read. "This is just the first book, but I like it. The author has an unhealthy obsession with the afterlife ****** but has an interesting world they've built. This one isn't really scary, but later books start to get kind of...dark."

"Oh...okay, thank you brother. I will keep that in mind." Asura assured, looking back down at the open book before he closed it and set it back on the pile. Kid pushed the last book his way, alongside a couple of boxes.

"That's an empty sketch book and some things to draw with. And these," the younger boy patted the remaining boxes, "are some puzzles if you get bored." Looking at the last stack, Asura plucked a multicolored cube from the pile, turning it over in his hands before glancing up at Kid questioningly. "It's a Rubik's cube. You twist the pieces until the colors are all mixed up and you solve it by matching the colors on all sides again. Like this." Taking the cube from Asura, he twisted it until the colors were all mixed up and handed it back.

Asura sat, twisting it around for a while, before looking back at the other puzzles. "What about those?" He asked, nodding to them. Kid blinked, then reached over and took one from the pile.

"These are just regular puzzles, you put them together and they make a picture." He explained, watching his brother's eyes light up. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, but then Kid slowly asked, "Do... do you want to help me put one together?"

Hesitantly, Asura nodded. " Y-yes...I would like that very much. If you don't mind that is...'

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to." The younger boy smiled as warmly as he could. He wasn't used to the idea of having a brother yet, but he could admit he was warming up to the thought. "Go ahead and pick one." He watched as Asura looked at each of the boxes and the pictures on top of them. Eventually he settled on one with a bunch of yellow flowers on it, meekly showing it to Kid. The two spent the rest of their time working on it, with the occasional fuss from Kid grumbling about the asymmetry of the pieces.

* * *

The week wore on and every day after classes, Kid would visit his brother. The third visit had started with Asura excitedly shoving a solved Rubik's cube in his face. He had spent the next hour apologizing profusely before Kid was able to convince him that yes, it really was okay. No he wasn't mad, just surprised. The rest was spent with Asura finishing up the puzzle while Kid told him all about his day.

The fourth visit, Asura seemed more relaxed than he'd ever been before. He sat in the center of his bed, fiddling with the Rubik's cube again. When Kid asked, he proudly explained that he was trying to get them into different patterns. He didn't need to be invited to sit at the table with his brother, though he was hesitant. They started a new puzzle and talked about Asura's books. By the time Kid had to leave, he had been roped into getting new books.

On his fifth visit, Asura cautiously expressed his desire to leave his room. The whole time he fidgeted with his scarf and wouldn't meet his brother's eyes. Kid promised to talk to their father, once he learned the man hadn't come back to see Asura since the day before he learned he had a brother. Asura got his new books too, and he grabbed the most interesting looking one from the pile. Kid didn't stay as long that day, he was supposed to go meet up with his friends. He felt guilty for leaving when Asura's face dropped, but the older Reaper never complained. It was all the more reason to see if Asura could leave his room.

The next day was the longest Kid spent with Asura by far. He came to the older Reaper's room and announced, "I spoke with father yesterday. He said you can leave your room whenever classes are over. Though maybe we should wait an hour for everyone to leave. Some people stay to study, but they usually leave at about that time." Asura looked up from his current puzzle and smiled slightly.

"Thank you...That sounds nice, perhaps you can show me around. That way I won't get lost if I take a walk myself." The older shinigami said from his place at the table. He waved his little brother over, and once he was settled Asura said, "Brother...could you tell me more about your weapons? Um...Liz and...Patty, right?" Kid blinked in surprise, Asura hadn't asked about them since they first met. He couldn't see why the older boy would be asking now.

"Yeah, Liz and Patty. What do you want to know?"

Scratching anxiously at his arm, Asura answered. "J-just, well...what are they like? You speak very highly of them for the most part." He did? Kid wasn't aware of that, but he guessed he did. They were good friends, he'd even go so far as to call them family. So maybe it wasn't too strange considering he never had to explain to anyone what the girls were like before. Usually they were there with him when he met new people.

"Oh, um let's see...well they're both nice, like I said, Liz is older than Patty. Liz is definitely calmer and more serious. And she's pretty good at improvising when things go wrong. She also looks out for Patty and I if things go wrong, so I'd say she's pretty brave when it counts." He explained with a smile. _"_ Like when...when the Kishin revived," Asura flinched at that, mouth twitching into a distressed frown, so Kid continued quickly. "She could have taken Patty and left me behind. It would definitely been safer for them, but she didn't. Instead they tried to hold out until help came."

"And Patty, she's...childish for the most part. Sometimes she can be very aggressive and even terrifying, but it's very rare so you shouldn't have to worry about that. She's been unusually quiet lately though, and I'm not sure why. Honestly, sometimes I can't tell if she really is as childish as she acts because I've seen her get serious when thing are really dangerous." He hoped that didn't make Asura more anxious about meeting Patty. To try to reassure the older Reaper, he added, "They really are great though, even if they have no regard for symmetry at all. I'm sure you'll like them once you get used to them."

Asura nodded, shuffling nervously in his seat. "Um, t-that's good..." That was all he said, though the quiver in his voice betrayed his anxiety. With neither sure what to say, they both went about doing their own things, Kid pulling out a book while his brother continued to put the pieces of his puzzle together which the younger noted was a picture of the ocean. They passed their hour in silence, and eventually Kid looked up and cleared his throat to get Asura's attention. The older shinigami jumped at the sudden sound, making a small squeaking noise before looking at Kid with wide eyes.

"Sorry about that. It's been about an hour if you still want me to show you around." The boy announced, closing his book up and setting it aside. Asura's eyes turned to the ground and he hesitated before nodding. Pushing the chair back and getting to his feet, Kid walked to the door. He pulled it open before turning to look at Asura. "Alright then, let's go." The older Reaper was quick to follow behind as Kid led the way out, closing the door quietly behind them.

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"Alright, this is my room." The younger boy stated as he waved a hand at the door to his room. "I was surprised it was so close to your room." Kid was right it was really close, just around the corner at the hall's end. Honestly, it surprised Asura that his brother hadn't tried to visit him sooner. With the question in mind he turned to ask Kid.

"I-if...um, if you wanted to know how I was...why...why did you not use your Soul Perception? Surely that would have been easier?" The older shinigami questioned, tilting his head to the left. For a long moment his only response was a blank stare and extended silence. Then, as if he had just realized it, Kid's expression changed to one of embarrassed realization.

He scratched nervously at the back of his neck, ducking his head to hide the embarrassed blush. "I...I didn't think of that," the boy admitted. Asura quirked an eyebrow at that, his amused smile hidden behind his scarf. Before he could stop himself, the words left his mouth .

"I figured that much." His voice dripped with sarcasm and false conviction. Kid immediately turned his golden eyes to the older Reaper, a mortified expression crossing his face. At the same time Asura seemed to realize what he'd said, because he paled and clamped both hands over his mouth. After a moment or two of silence, Asura squeaked out an apology, "I-I'm sorry! I wasn't...I didn't mean to sound mean brother...I just...s-sometimes...when I'm nervous I...I didn't mean that."

Kid nodded then, it wasn't that bad really, he just hadn't been expecting to here something so bold from his normally quiet brother. "It's okay, I was just surprised is all. You usually aren't that bold." The older Reaper nodded in understanding. That was understandable, Kid was used to him being quiet so of course he would be shocked. It wasn't a big deal. Not at all.

In an attempt to keep things from getting awkward again, the younger boy quickly motioned to the other side of the hallway. "Anyway, those are Liz and Patty's rooms. Don't go bothering them much, they won't like that much." It was a quick statement and Asura had no time to respond to it before he was being led away.

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"Okay, that is the third time you've gotten lost. Come here." Kid huffed, his arms crossed over his chest. For someone so scared of being in an unfamiliar place, Asura sure liked to wander. This was, as he said, the third time he'd turned around to speak to the older shinigami only to find him missing. And then he had to go and track the other down again to point him in the right direction. It was exhausting.

Asura approached hesitantly, eyeing his brother cautiously. The boy hadn't yelled at him, sure, but it still wasn't his fault he got lost. The building was much bigger than he had been anticipating and there were so many interesting things around. It wasn't his fault if Kid didn't notice him stop to investigate and maybe, probably make sure every window was securely shut and locked. (Of course Asura refused to admit he hadn't noticed that Kid kept walking either.)

Once Asura was close enough, Kid said, "I don't need to hold your hand for this, do I? Because honestly that might be a little too weird, don't you think?" Asura nodded, because he really did understand and he really did not like physical contact much. In his defense, he did tell Kid he liked to explore when no one else was around though. "Good. Stop wandering off on your own." Another nod was all he got before the younger boy turned to led them down another hallway.

Sure enough the older Reaper wandered off again and Kid eventually found him knelt on the ground with something in his hand. He cleared his throat loudly, making Asura jump to his feet and flinch away with a terrified shriek. It made the boy feel guilty for scaring his brother, but he did warn him not to wander. Upon seeing that it was only Kid, Asura let out a relieved sigh. "Um...hello brother!" He greeted the other boy carefully, knowing full well he had been caught again.

Kid only raised one eyebrow curiously, nodding towards Asura's closed hand. "Hi? What did you find?" The look of surprise that crossed the older boy's face left a heavy feeling in Kid's chest. His brother was probably expecting to be reprimanded immediately. Asura's free hand reached over to scratch at his right arm, obviously he was getting anxious so Kid tried to reassure him. "You aren't in any trouble Asura, I'm just curious. " And even though he still looked nervous, Asura held his hand out and uncurled his fingers. In the palm of his hand was a small, white, spiraled sea shell.

"It's a little shell...I saw it laying there a-and I wanted it. S-so I picked it up..."

"You went off alone, _again_ , for a shell?"Kid asked. Asura quickly tucked the shell into his pocket.

"Yes?" He responded, sounding confused. Kid figured he probably didn't understand what the problem was, so he just shook his head.

"That's alright I guess, I'm just a little frustrated with you wandering away all the time. It makes it harder to sow you around you know." The younger shinigami stated with a resigned sigh. When the older boy opened his mouth to apologize, Kid quickly added, "Don't. I know you're sorry, I just wish there was an easier way to know when you were leaving."

"Oh..." Asura murmured, glancing off to the side with a thoughtful look on his face. Suddenly he snapped his fingers and said, "Oh! I know!" He unwrapped his scarves a little until he had more than enough to wrap around Kid's neck. The fabric was shoved into Kid's arms, leaving him feeling rather confused at first. "Here! Put this on!" The younger boy nodded in understanding, yet he still hesitated. "Is...Is something wrong Kid?"

"It's just..." The boy glared at the cloth in his hands. "If I wear it, then it won't be symmetrical! I'll only have one end of the scarf hanging over my shoulder and not the other! It's important to have that balance you know!" It occurred to the older boy that this was just Kid's own madness shining through and not any real problem he had with Asura himself.

Asura blinked in surprise, taking a minute to think before he said, "Well...we're both Reapers...a-and, well, if we both have half of my scarf, would that be balanced enough? I mean...who's really here to see us anymore? Surely it wouldn't be a big problem." There was an uneasy silence between the boys as Kid considered his brother's words. Finally the younger Reaper nodded.

"I suppose you have a point..." He started, glancing between Asura and his scarf before moving to put it on. "Alright, fine...it's better than losing you in the halls again anyway."

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"...And this is the library! You can't really borrow any of the books to take to your room until We get you a library card though. Until then, you can just read them in here if you want to." Kid explained, smiling at the excited grin his brother tried to hid.

"I'm going to read all of them in one night." Asura announced suddenly.

"You can't possibly do that."

"Watch me." Needless to say, Kid had to drag him from the room to finish they're tour.

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"Asura!" Kid called to the older boy. Asura tilted his head curiously. "Can you give me a boost?"

"Why?"

Gesturing at a painting hanging out of both boy's reach, he exclaimed, "That painting looks off! I need to fix it!"

"Okay." Asura relented quickly, this was the fifth time Kid had stopped for something like this after all. He got down on one knee, letting Kid climb onto his shoulders before standing up slowly. He didn't want the boy to fall and get hurt, even if he didn't like being touched. It would be fine. It was fine the last five times, especially since he wasn't shaking in fear too much this time. Besides, this was the kind of thing some of his books mentioned, older brothers were supposed to help their younger brothers.

"Aaaand...There! I'm done!" Kid announced, hoping off Asura's shoulders while he was still standing. "Now then...what's next? Oh, I know."

.

.

.

"This is definitely the best view of the city from Shibusen." Kid said, leaning against the railing. The candles around the school were the only light out on the balcony, but it was enough light to see Asura nod. "Say...can you fly? I'd think so because I have my skateboard to fly and father has his jets."

"Yes, I prefer levitation." The older Reaper stated.

"Oh? How did you learn that?" Kid asked, tilting his head.

Asura bit his lip, and Kid could barely see his cheeks turning pink. "I-it's a little embarrassing brother..."

"Well it's only us up here. I swear I won't tell." Kid promised. Taking a deep breath, Asura nodded.

"It was an accident...um, I-I was going to meet father in the foyer of the manor and I slipped on the stairs. I just never landed and it confused me until I realized I was floating..." The older boy said, looking away anxiously.

"Really? That's not so bad."

"Y-yeah...it wouldn't be if I hadn't tried flying on my own...I...I..." Asura buried his face in his hands then, his words getting muffled. Kid had to ask him to repeat it and what he heard was, "I-I got stuck on a chandelier...father had to come and get me down..." Kid couldn't help but laugh at that. "I-It's not that funny!"

Shaking his head, the younger boy said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just strange to think that you, father's best warrior, got stuck on a chandelier. But...I guess we all have to start somewhere, huh?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Well, it's late. We should go back to our rooms." Kid said, turning to walk back into the building. Asura gave one last look at the city lights below before following his little brother. "Oh, and I was thinking that you could meet Liz and Patty tomorrow. We could all have a sleepover in your room! It would be fun."

"A what?" Asura asked, hoping Kid would elaborate.

"A sleepover. It's less about sleeping though and more spending the whole night with your friends, playing games and just spending time with them. It will be fun, I promise." Kid assured him. "And if you feel uncomfortable, we could stop and go to our rooms. I'll keep them in line, I swear."

After a moment of thought Asura nodded. "O-okay..."

* * *

 ***** **Shamelessly promoting my original comic, "Null's Adventures in Limbo". It isn't even done with chapter one yet though. Sorry.**

 **** Shamelessly making fun of myself and my work.**

 **UP NEXT:** **Sleepover time! Asura and Kid totally guilt trip their dad into joining.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey! It's an update!**

 **I want to give you all a heads up though. These will be a lot more infrequent than usual for the next few months. I have a ton of stuff to do. Like making art for a con in the summer and various small projects. My home also needs a ton of repairs.**

 **I also want to try opening commissions but until I get everything set up for that, I'm going to just link my Tumblr art blogs on my profile. Just so people can see them.**

* * *

Asura sat on his bed, wrapped in a black blanket and nervously fixing his new nightclothes. Kid had brought them to him, saying he couldn't keep wearing the exact same clothes he'd been wearing since he woke up after Vajra's revival. Apparently it was a bit disgusting to sleep in the same clothes you were wearing all day, which he silently agreed with. There was just nothing else to wear and he wasn't the kind of person to sleep naked or ask for something. That was just...no. To both options.

He really liked the new clothes though, they were soft and warm and comfortable. And clean. Clean was good. Clean was very good. And they were red too, with black stripes, which made him glad. He liked the color a lot. He wondered if Kid realized that it was his favorite or if it was completely coincidental. It was probably the latter, but he could wonder. The blanket matched it too.

Sitting at the table, Kid was working on his homework. Occasionally the younger boy would mutter under his breath, but it seemed like he was trying to listen to Asura's suggestion when he'd almost had an anxiety attack over writing his name. He could hardly believe something so small could set his brother off, but it almost did until he'd stepped in. Of course he would though, he knew an anxiety attack when he saw one and he hated his. Kid shouldn't have to deal with his alone and as long as Asura was around, he would try to help.

Convincing Kid to leave it unfinished for the time being was difficult, but he was reasonable enough to listen. _"It shouldn't be a problem as long as you go back and finish it right? If you focus too much on it, you're going to get stressed and mess it up."_ That was what he told Kid, and he listened thankfully, but Asura couldn't help but think he had no right to lecture his brother if he didn't follow his own advice.

"Hey Asura, are you okay?" Kid's sudden question startled the older Reaper and he flinched. He glanced up at Kid carefully, finding only worry there. When Asura failed to answer him, he said, "Your Madness was starting to come out again. Is something wrong?"

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry! I'm just getting nervous is all... It wasn't bothering you much, was it? The...the Madness?" Asura squeaked out, twisting one end of his scarf in his hands. Kid shook his head, and relief filled Asura.

"I'm fine, though it does make doing my homework difficult when it makes me doubt the answers." The younger Reaper's voice had a lighter tone to it as he said that last part and it was how Asura knew Kid wasn't really upset. So he offered a sheepish smile before burying his face in his scarves and muttering a quiet apology. Kid smiled fondly at the action.

He was honestly surprised how quickly he had gotten used to Asura, and vise versa. Or he hoped Asura was just as used to him. Having a brother was still a little strange, but he liked to think they were more comfortable together than before. Asura wasn't hiding in the corner of his bed anymore at least. That must be a good thing because that meant Asura trusted him, even just a little bit.

Lately the younger boy was starting to get impatient though. He knew Asura needed time, but he wanted to bring him out to meet his friends. And maybe he wanted to see how it felt to introduce the older boy as, _"My brother Asura."_ It would probably be a little weird at first, but he would certainly get used to it.

"Um...K-kid?" His attention was drawn back to the older Reaper when he spoke up quietly. The boy in question closed the book he had been using after stuffing the papers into it. Then he turned to face his brother.

"Yeah?" Was all he said, and he waited silently for a response. It came after a long moment of hesitation.

"I-I...er...I wanted to...to talk to you...about...well, a-abou-" The nervous boy was cut off by a loud knock on the door. It took him by surprise and he let out a startled yelp, jumping a foot in the air before scrambling back against the headboard. Kid flinched back too, caught off guard by the sudden movement but he took a step towards Asura instead of going to the door.

He reached out and carefully patted the older boy's shoulder reassuringly. It earned him a flinch and a squeak from the boy buried in the blanket. "It's alright Asura, that's probably just Liz and Patty." There was a second, quieter set of knocks from the door, and Kid heard the pause between the first one and the rest. "I'm going to go let them in now okay?" He got a hesitant nod in response.

Kid backed away from Asura, crossing the room quickly to let the girls in. They stood in the doorway, both dressed in matching black tank tops and camouflage pants, mostly out of habit. They were used to matching their outfits by now, so it made sense. Though internally pleased, Kid still frowned up at the girls. "You scared him." He stated bluntly.

A guilty look crossed Liz's face at that and Patty pouted. "Yeah...we heard him scream from out here. Sorry about that, Patty beat me to the door." Patting the younger girl's shoulder, Liz added, "But she's going to apologize for that, aren't you?" The older blonde shot her sister a stern look, and if it were at all possible, Patty pouted even more. Kid figured Liz had already reprimanded the girl for her actions and decided to let the subject drop. This was supposed to be fun after all.

With a nod he stepped back to let them through, saying, "Just give me a second..." And with that he left them to put their things down, returning to his brother's side to try and coax him back out of the corner. It took a few minutes, but eventually Asura let Kid drag him to his feet. He kept the blanket pulled tight around his shoulders though. "Alright! Asura these are my weapons, Liz and Patty!" The boy pointed at each of them when he said their names, so Asura would know who was who. "Liz, Patty, this is my brother Asura!"

Asura smiled shyly at them, opening his mouth to say something only to find he couldn't form the words. He snapped his mouth shut and buried his face in his hands then, trying to hide his embarrassment. Of course this would happen, he knew it would. It happened when he met Kid and it was happening again. Why did he have to clam up around people like this? Why couldn't he just talk to them like normal people do? He didn't want Kid's weapons to hate him, he wanted them to like him. Oh no, what if Kid was upset with him?

The older Reaper roughly tugged Kid closer and bent down to whisper something to him. At first he looked surprised to be pulled over like that, but Liz watched it quickly change into confusion and then understanding. With a nod, Kid said, "He says it's a pleasure to finally meet you and you're both very pretty." Liz blinked, surprised to have Kid speak up. But then she nodded and smiled.

"Thanks, you're pretty cute yourself." She said, beaming at the compliment. Liz would never have thought someone could turn so red so fast. He whispered something to Kid again, keeping his head down in an attempt to hide. Whatever he said must have upset Kid, because there was a flash of surprise again, followed by a mix of anger and sadness. He seemed more angry.

"What?! No! Don't say things like that! It's not true." There was a shocked look on the older boy's face for a moment, then he whispered something else to Kid. "No, I don't think they'd think that. It's fine. You're just thinking about it too much."

Curious, Liz spoke up. "We wouldn't think what?" Whatever Asura had been ready to argue back with was cut off. He tensed, arms crossed over his chest defensively. His eyes were wide and his mouth was pressed into a thin line, the corners tugging downward. A quick glance was spared for both the sisters and Kid before he ducked his head again.

Kid on the other hand decided he had something to prove to his brother, gold eye meeting blue as he glared. Liz knew better than to think that he was mad at her or Patty, Kid was mad in general. "He says, _'Thank you but I know I look like a freak. You don't have to be nice.'_ You don't think he's a freak, do you? Liz? Patty?"

"What? No! Why would I?! Who told you that?" The older girl exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Nuh-uh. I think Sis's right! You're cute!" Patty chimed in happily, no longer pouting over Liz's lecture before the were let in. She pointed at the taller boy with too much enthusiasm for the situation and loudly added, "Now listen! If my Sis says it, it's gotta be true 'cause Lizzy knows all of that stuff! So if she says yer cute, then yer cute. She's smart like that!"

Asura nodded, a little frightened by the younger sister already and not willing to push his luck with her. Though he silently told himself that they were just saying that to be nice. He lifted his gaze to the three of them, relieved to see them smiling. He had to try to act normal. Don't ruin this. This was a 'sleepover' and Kid said they were supposed to be fun. It would be horrible if he ruined their fun because he couldn't handle something as simple as a compliment. Taking a deep breath, Asura said, "O-okay... I'm...I'm s-sorry...I...I..." He couldn't finish his sentence, cursing his nerves.

The older boy tensed when he felt a hand on his arm, but relaxed just as quickly when he looked to see Kid. "Are you sure you're alright? Remember, they don't mind if you want to stop and we can go back to our rooms. We won't make you do this."

"Or," Liz chimed in, earning both boys attention, "if you need a break, like, time to yourself, just say so. We won't bother you and you can join us again when you feel better." She smiled when she got a quiet 'thank you' in response. "And Patty here wants to apologize for earlier, don't you Patty?"

The smaller girl pouted again and glared at the ground for a moment, then she looked up at the boys and said, "...'m sowwy, I didn't mean to scare you."

"I-it's alright..." The older Reaper mumbled quietly. "I... I get scared easily... i-it isn't your fault."

"Yay! We're friends now!" Patty yelled throwing her arms up in the air happily, a massive grin set on her face. The girl then turned to him, arms wide open for a hug only to be stopped by her sister.

"Remember when we had that talk about boundaries Patty?" The older blonde reminded her, her tone gentle but stern.

Patty nodded proudly as she said, "Ask first right?" She got an approving nod from Liz then turned back to Asura. "Can I pwease hug you?" The older Reaper attempted to inch behind his brother, an indecisive look crossing his face. Kid gently set a hand on his arm, catching his attention.

"She's not going to hurt you." The smaller boy reassured with a calm smile. Asura nodded in understanding, bending down to whisper to Kid again. "Oh, okay. He says he's not comfortable with you guys touching him yet. He's sorry."

Patty deflated, pouting again at being denied. However, she didn't try anything like she normally would have and Kid wondered if it had to do with the talk Liz said they had. "That's fine. We totally understand." Liz said, offering a small smile. "Now then, what do we want to do first?"

The boys both exchanged lost looks before Kid spoke up for the both of them. "Well, Asura's never done this before and I don't really care. So what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking this would be more fun if we had the keys to everything in the building. Your dad has copies of them all, right?" Liz stated, turning to kid for confirmation. She received a nod from the boy in question. "I doubt he'd hand them over though..."

Suddenly Patty started jumping up and down, waving one hand in the air. "Oh! Oh! I know! I know!" The shorter blonde exclaimed. Once she was sure she had their attention, she continued. "We should make a blanket fort! And then we can all hide under it and talk and Lizzy can give us makeovers~!"

"I'm down for that. What about you boys?" The older sister agreed.

"Sure, but make sure it looks symmetrical." Kid said, and Liz couldn't tell if he was talking about the fort or his impending makeover. "Is this alright Asura?" The older shinigami hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Great! Then let's get started!" Liz said, clapping her hands twice.

* * *

They were just putting the finishing touches on their fort. Asura was very happy with it too, they'd moved his mattress to the floor so they could turn the bed frame over vertically for something else to support their tent. It was fun, even with Kid constantly fussing and his weapons teasing him or purposely making it asymmetrical to piss him off. It was strange though, he wasn't really used to having the time to play like a normal kid. A part of him was always expecting to be called away for a fight. He had to hold back a sigh as he tied off the last corner he was instructed to.

"Okay! That's it! Good job guys." Kid called out and Asura turned to him with a small smile. Patty cheered happily, throwing her arms out excitedly while Liz rolled her eyes.

"You barely did anything Kid." She stated, a playful tone being the only reason they knew she was only joking. With a wave of her arms, she gestured at both her sister and the older Reaper. "We did all the real work."

Kid looked offended by that, quickly defending himself, "Hey! I had to make sure it was built symmetrically! I know we've been through this before, but balance is-" The elder sister cut Kid off with a dismissive wave, completely ignoring Kid's pout.

"Yeah, yeah, balance is important and all that jazz. I know, I've heard it a thousand times." Then Liz turned to her sister, saying, "C'mon Patty, you get a makeover first."

"Fuck yeah! I wanna be a tiger!" The younger girl shouted, pumping a fist into the air before crawling into the tent. Liz smiled fondly after her, looking back at the boys for a moment. Then she followed her sister. Kid sighed then, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. Then he looked up to see his brother's hesitant gaze.

"Hey Asura? Are you still alright?" The younger shinigami asked, brow furrowed in concern. Asura glanced back at him, then at the tent. Slowly he nodded.

"Y-yes...I'm having fun so far. I-I think I'll be alright." He replied quietly. And he really was okay, as surprising as that was. The girls were nice, Patty scared him a little, but then so did Liz. He just had to get used to them was all, then he could talk to them easier and he wouldn't have to feel so awkward. Like a background character in a book, the kind that was rarely needed in the story and maybe showed up once or twice when needed. The kind that was usually killed off to further the plot. Wait, no...he shouldn't think like that. It wasn't good.

Kid frowned, he must have noticed his anxiety. That wasn't good either. He couldn't ruin this, so he smiled weakly. The younger Reaper sigh and set a hand on his brothers arm gently. "If you say so, but just remember we don't mind if you feel like you need a break, okay?"

"Okay..." Asura nodded to reassure the younger boy. Just then there was a knock at the door. The sudden sound scared Asura, who flinched away from it with a loud squeak. Patty erupted into a fit of giggles at the sound and Liz poked her head out from the fort with a questioning look on her face. Embarrassed, the older boy covered his face with his hands.

Then the door opened and a cheery voice called out, "Hey, hiya! How's it going kids?" The man was again in his human form, a rare occurrence, and had even removed his mask.

Surprised crossed both Kid and Liz's faces, while Patty popped out to with a salute and a massive grin. Asura kept his face covered, but he stood straighter and peered through his fingers at the man. It seems that they had forgotten about the little embarrassing noise for now. Kid was the first of them to speak up. "F-Father? What are you doing here?"

Shinigami strutted in, saying, "Oh, well, I finally got a break from all the meetings lately and figured I should pop in to visit. I haven't seen you boys in a while." He paused, looking around the room before adding, "Am I interrupting something?'

There was a chorus of 'no's and 'not really's from the group, until Patty shouted, "Sleepover! Fuck yeah!" That brought a large smile to the man's face.

"Ah, I see. Then I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to borrow Asura for a moment." Said boy lowered his hands then, glancing back at the others then at his father. The eldest Reaper smiled gently, gesturing for Asura to follow. "Come on, it will only be for a moment. Then you can get back to your sleepover."

With a hesitant nod, the red eyed boy followed. The man must have decide he wasn't fast enough, because he grabbed one of his son's arms and carefully pulled him along. The action earned another loud squeak from Asura and he could hear Patty giggle again while Liz said, "You didn't tell us he squeaked! That's so cute!" That familiar heat creeped back up his face, but he tried to ignore it.

They left the room behind and stopped at the end of the hall. Then Shinigami turned to Asura, quickly reassuring him when he saw the frightened look on his face. "You aren't in trouble Asura. I just wanted to ask how you were doing. Is everything alright?"

The boy blinked owlishly up at the larger Reaper, trying to think of what to say. "I...I think so... um, it's just really... quiet. I feel like something is going to happen." Shinigami raised an eyebrow at that, feeling worry pool in his chest.

"Like what?" He asked, elaborating when Asura looked confused. "What do you think might happen?"

The smaller of the two Reapers scratched nervously at his arms and moved to fix the blanket he wore earlier before realizing he left it in his room. He froze for a moment, shook his head, and then answered. "I'm not sure... just, well... everything is going so well and... it feels wrong. I... I'm scared. I don't want to make a mistake." _'I don't want them to hate me... don't want you to hate me...'_

"It will be fine Asura, you are safe here and even if there are some problems with you getting better, that's to be expected. These things take time." Shinigami said softly. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. We want to help you and we can't help you if you don't let us know."

"... O-okay..." He replied, "I...I will..." Even though he'd said it Shinigami knew better than to believe it, especially when Asura refused to look at him when he spoke. Still, he wasn't going to confront the boy about it, not unless it started causing problems. With Asura's fearful nature he just naturally hid things. It was a pain to think the boy was so hesitant to trust them, but pushing him would only make this worse.

There was a moment of silence as the elder Reaper debated continuing their conversation. With a sigh, he decided to save it for later. He wanted Asura to possibly get back into missions, maybe find him a new team to work with. Once he was doing better of course. Maybe Sid could take him for spying missions, maybe even assassination missions. It would be better than the old method of just sending him out and saying, 'just kill everything'.

"... Alright. Well then, let's get you back to your little party!" He announced cheerfully, leading the way back. Soon enough they were back at his room, and Kid was waiting to welcome them back. Shinigami was so happy to see Asura relax a little around his brother. It would be good for him to have someone to rely on. He wished he could stay longer with his cute little kids, but he still had things to do. With that in mind he said, "Well then! I'll be going now. You kids have fun!"

Just as he opened the door, he felt a tug on his cloak. Looking back revealed his elder son, who looked both surprised and terrified while still keeping the dark fabric clutched tightly in his hand. Behind him stood Kid, the younger boy seemed caught between saying something or prying his brother off Shinigami's cloak. Whichever it was never got done, because Asura spoke up then. "Do... do you... have to...?"

It took a moment to process that question but once he did, he answered. "Yes. I have a meeting in an hour and I would like make sure everything is ready." The man stated, light tugging on his cloak. Asura's grip only tightened though and he held back a sigh. He could feel his chest constrict at the dejected look in the boy's red eyes.

"B-but... I... y-you haven't...I... haven't seen you in a while..."

"A week to be exact." Kid chimed in from behind, his voice even and calm as he took a step forward. "And I haven't seen you for a couple days either. Even then you were pretty busy."

Shinigami opened his mouth to reply, only for Liz to lean out of their blanket fort with her chin propped up in her hand. "Well, how long will it take to get ready for this meeting?" She asked, blue eyes flitting between the brothers before landing on their father. "Because if it doesn't take long, you can wait a little and stay."

"..." The eldest Reaper paused, cursing his hesitation when his sons' faces lit up. Why did he have to have such adorable kids? It was so hard to say no to them sometimes. And thinking about it, he probably could wait. It would only take a minute or two to go over everything after all. This was just a little of his own madness slipping through. The perfectionist part of him that Kid had as well. With a shrug he said, "I suppose I could. It shouldn't take too long. 40 minutes, alright? And then I have to go."

The brothers shared a happy look between each other, glad to have even that much time. That was worse then the guilt trip. Was he really gone for so long that even forty minutes of his time was something exciting? Maybe he should take a few days like Spirit keeps telling him to do. Behind the boys, Liz grinned broadly, though he was a little suspicious of the look she sent his way.

"Alright boys, get in here! You're all getting makeovers!" Liz called backing into the tent again while Patty giggled excitedly. Shinigami glanced at both of his sons, gauging their reactions to the announcement. Kid looked entirely unfazed, which made the eldest Reaper wonder if this was normal for his youngest boy. On the other hand, Asura seemed caught between apprehension and curiosity. The elder boy shifted his weight from one foot to the other, anxiously debating whether or not it was hazardous to his health.

Kid glanced over to his older brother, watching him for a moment before he said, "It won't hurt Asura. Trust me, I've done this before. Just listen to Liz." The older boy glanced between Kid and the fort where the sisters were before nodding. Shinigami only raised an eyebrow at this, not exactly sure what to do with the new information.

The first to crawl in was Kid, followed hesitantly by Asura. That left Shinigami standing alone outside. He allowed himself an amused smile, wondering what exactly he was getting into before following his boys. Inside, Liz was already getting ready to grab one of them, her make-up kit already open as she rifled through. Kid was with Patty, trying to get her to sit still long enough for him to paint her nails. It took him a moment to find Asura, but he spotted him wrapped in a blanket near the entrance.

"So, who wants to go first?" Liz asked cheerfully as she clapped her hands together. The eldest Reaper glanced back at Asura, only to find him looking back with an apprehensive expression.

"I can't." Kid spoke up, muttering under his breath when Patty moved suddenly. With a quick glance at his brother he added, "I'll go next. I have to get Patty's nails done just right."

Shinigami shrugged then, Asura wouldn't try it until someone else did and he was the only one available at the moment. "Alright, I guess I'm first then." The man said with a smile, sitting himself cross-legged in front of Liz after she waved him over. He could practically feel Asura relax now that he didn't have to go.

.

.

.

Surprisingly, Asura did not back out of his makeover at the last minute. Sure, there were a few problems- like how quickly he flinched away when anything got too close to his eyes- but it was obvious that he was _trying_. Liz had taken to explaining everything she was doing and giving him concerned looks while he sat as still as possible. It was better than earlier, when he couldn't seem to stop shaking. That might have been because of his brother though.

Kid leaned against his brother's back, facing Patty as she chatted about something or other. Her arms waved around in wild gestures to exaggerate her point. Kid nodded along with what she was saying, though Shinigami thought his son looked a bit confused.

Soon enough Liz was done, passing the older boy a mirror so he could see his reflection. Asura took it from her gingerly. He couldn't help the soft smile on his face as he looked at her work. It wasn't much, but he really liked the red eye liner around his eyes. Liz had spent ages drawing the flowing pattern from the corner of his eyes and down his cheeks. It almost looked like leaves at first, but he quickly recognized it as the eye symbols on his hands.

Liz smiled, watching him gently prod at the designs in awe. She carefully pulled out her phone then, peering at the time before turning to the eldest Reaper. "Hey, Shinigami-sama. It's been forty minutes. Don't you have to go now?" The man looked up at them from where he'd been admiring his nails, which Kid had insisted on doing.

"Ah? It is?" He was quite for a moment as she showed him the time, a look of disappointment crossing the man's face. "...So it is. Alrighty then, I guess I should get going. Asura, Kiddo, I have to leave now. I'll see you later." He reached over, pulling Kid into a tight hug before moving on to Asura. The older boy obliged, but was still very hesitant despite how gentle he tried to be.

Finally, Shinigami let go, climbing out of the tent and giving one more farewell before they heard the door close. A moment of silence passed before Patty slapped a hand to her forehead, shouting, "Fuck! We didn't ask for the keys!" Everyone else jumped at the sudden sound, surprised by her shout.

"Oh...Right." Liz said, looking down at her hands. It seemed everyone had forgotten about them, if the look on Kid's face said anything.

"He probably would have said no anyway." Kid stated.

Their attention was quickly drawn to Asura though when he cleared his throat. "Um... a-are these the keys?" He asked quietly, holding up a ring of keys. Kid and Liz's eyes widened in recognition as Patty burst out laughing. Liz was the first one to speak then.

"You _stole_ the keys from your dad?!" She sounded shocked, eye flickering between the elder Reaper and the keys in his hand.

"I prefer the term _'borrowed'_." Came his deadpan response, and the girls couldn't help but laugh while Kid softly patted his brother's shoulder.

.

.

.

"What is this?" Asura asked, eyeing whatever Liz had put in front of him. They had decided to go to the kitchen first and Liz and Patty had left them to wait at one of the tables in the cafeteria while they dragged out some treats. Most of what they piled onto the table was unfamiliar to Asura, but they all looked amused by his confusion instead of getting mad or something.

Liz raised an eyebrow at his question, pointing at the small container in front of him with a spoon as she said, "It's ice cream. That one's plain vanilla." The older blonde slid a spoon to him from across the table. Asura only cocked his head to the side, even more confused than before. Liz chuckled and nudged Kid. "I'm handing this to you."

The younger boy blinked, looking up from his own ice cream to say, "It's a frozen dairy treat, vanilla is the flavor of that one. There are many different flavors." It was a short explanation, but the older boy nodded in understanding. Carefully he opened it, like he'd seen the others do, and took a spoonful of the treat. He'd known it was cold, Kid said as much and he could feel it through the container, but it still made him shiver eyes going wide. He heard Liz snort, trying to surprise her laugher while trying to eat.

Once she pulled herself together enough, she asked, "So, how is it?" Asura only blinked in response.

"... It's cold..."

"Ice cream is cold! Go figure." Came the blonde's response as she rolled her eyes. The older boy couldn't help but huff at the comment, feeling himself blush.

"Oh!" Patty chirped, getting up to reach over the table. "If you don't want it, I'll eat it~!" Asura quickly snatched it out of her reach. He stared right into Patty's eyes as he shoved a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, almost daring her to try and take it. The younger girl started laughing then, retreating back to her seat to enjoy her ice cream.

"By the way, you are going to try everything on this table." Liz stated, and Asura glanced nervously at Kid to see what he thought. The boy only shrugged, offering an encouraging smile.

.

.

.

 _ **CRASH!**_

The sound rang out across the gym, bringing frightened looks to the faces of Kid and his weapons. They had been teaching Asura basketball, which he had picked up very quickly, and he had attempted to mimic Patty's slam dunk on a dare. They had no way of know that the hoop would fall off when he did.

Kid was the first one to snap out of his shock, rushing to his brother's side. "Asura! Are you okay?!" he asked, helping the older Reaper sit up and wincing at the sharp gasp he heard. Liz and Patty were quick to join, Liz laying a hand on his back gently.

"...fine... I'm... I'm fine..." The older boy mumbled. He ran a hand through his dark hair, trying to brush it out of his eyes. Then he carefully lifted the hoop and asked, "What should I do with this?"

Kid sighed in relief, glad to see that Asura seemed alright. "Just leave it. They'll probably think it was Black Star again." The boy said, standing up and helping Asura to his feet. "How about we go do something else for now."

With a nod, Asura let them lead him from the room.

.

.

.

After a while of aimlessly wandering around the halls, they finally decided to go back to his room. Patty was starting to fall asleep anyway, leaning heavily against her sister's side. It was so quiet, what with them exhausting everything they had to talk about earlier. At least until Kid spoke up. "So... Did you have fun?"

It took a second to realize Kid was talking to him, but he quickly answered, "Ah, yes...I did. Thou I am still a little uneasy around your weapons..." He glanced back at Liz, who looked a little upset to hear that. "No offense... I just... um..." The girl quickly waved it off, earning a small smile from the older Reaper.

"None taken. I get it."

"Well," Kid said, opening the door to his room as they arrived. "Maybe soon you can come meet the others. I'm sure they will like you to." The younger boy smiled reassuringly and they all broke off, Liz making sure they cleaned the makeup off of their faces before they all went to sleep. The sisters curled up together, and Kid took a spot near him that wasn't in his personal space. Asura himself curled into a ball on his mattress, bundled in a cocoon of blankets.

* * *

"Damn...He really managed to put a lot of you out of commission, huh?" The voice echoed through the brightly lit room. There were pieces of stone statues scattered about, some chunks emitting a faint lavender glow while an inky blackness showed through the cracks of others. With a sigh, the man knelt down by the nearest, and most intact one. "Well... it's nothing to worry about. I can fix this."

There was a pause as he thought, before saying, "Maybe I should start with the crafters... Asura took them out first after all and if I fix them, they can help get the rest of you back into shape." With a smile and a nod, he stood up again and headed for a much smaller stone figure that was leaking black particles. Kneeling by it's side he set to work immediately, checking over the still stone and cataloging each and every bit of damage on it.

"Okay...This is fixable. A few cracks, but those should fix themselves once I repair the runes. Maybe I should even add some protection spells and shield spells." He glanced over his shoulder at the larger stone figure hovering in the doorway. "Rachit, could you go and get my tools? I need to fix up Adah and the other crafters."

The sound of heavy footsteps faded away and left him alone to sift through the bodies of his other creations, pulling out the ones he needed to repair first and piling them around Adah. It didn't take long for Rachit to return with his tools, and he was happy to have something to take his mind off of things. Or he was, until the crackling voice of Rachit spoke up. "Lord Vajra, when do you plan to retrieve Lord Asura?"

Vajra cringed a bit at the voice, wondering if there was a way to fix it too. "I don't plan to do anything yet. Asura managed to damage a lot of you and I know better than to act without having all of you to back me up."

"I...Do not understand." Came the reply, and the man simply shook his head.

"All our enemies have an army behind them. Shinigami has a school full of trained fighters _and_ he also has two more Reapers to help him now. The Grand Witch should mind her own business, bit if she chose to involve herself, most other witches would aid her. And we don't even know if Arachnophobia is still out there." Vajra explained as he finished sorting through his tools. "Because of this, you are all getting upgraded. We don't know what we might be up against."

"But Lord Asura-"

"-will be fine. I know Shinigami probably won't hurt him. That doesn't mean I don't want to get him back, but I have a lot to do first. Despite everything I put in place to stop him, he still left. He needs to learn that this is for the best. I'll make him see that no matter what it takes." Vajra stated, though obviously more to himself than to Rachit. A dark grin came across his face and he chuckled a bit.

"I'll make sure he never leaves again! Even if I have to break him to do it."

* * *

 **Something to note. Vajra's soldiers are like a mix of Asura's clowns and the golems from Loew village. The runes are what helps them moves and powers them, their basic programming, but they draw from his Madness wavelength. The black stuff in the soldiers is what gives them the ability to think for themselves (like in the manga when the clowns would reform). Otherwise they would need to be told exactly what to do or would only follow their basic programming. This way they can improvise.**

 **Asura doesn't know how they work so that's why it wasn't mentioned earlier.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys this took forever and it's also half the usual size and more of a filler. I'm also avoiding writing the next chapter cause stuff starts to go down and I feel bad ruining the nice stuff but I have to. And my charger for my laptop broke so I wrote this on mobile. Auto correct sucks.**

* * *

Asura hadn't slept that night, just laid back and stared at the ceiling of their 'tent' with tired eyes. He couldn't sleep. If he slept then he would dream, and those always were quick to turn to nightmares. He knew what would happen, should he drift off. The dreams would turn into night terrors. He'd probably panic and wake his brother and the girls. Possibly hurt them if he lashed out. That was the last thing he wanted.

He slowly sat up slowly, pulling his knees up to his chest and quickly checked if he had disturbed any of the others. Kid was still curled up at his left side, closer than he was the night before, but not enough for it to be uncomfortable. Liz and Patty were further away, the younger girl taking as much room as possible and forcing her sister to sleep in a ball. He blinked, rubbing at his eyes as he sighed in relief. No one was disturbed by the movement.

By the time morning came, he was exhausted, but still stubbornly fighting off sleep. Kid was the first one to wake up, groaning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Asura watched as his brother slowly sat up, looking slightly confused for a moment as he remembered the previous night. Finally he locked eyes with the older Reaper, brow furrowed in concern upon finding him curled up. The attention made him uncomfortable, so Asura unconsciously curled up tighter.

"... Asura? Are...are you alright?" The younger boy received a nod that was too slow and hesitant to be the truth. Still he would accept it, a part of him afraid of pushing his brother too much. Kid had worked hard to gain some kind of trust from his brother and he wasn't about to jeopardize their relationship. Even after the week or so that he'd been visiting the other shinigami, Asura was still hesitant to trust him. Though it was easy to forget sometimes because, as he'd soon learned, Asura was a pretty good actor.

Hesitantly, the elder boy uncurled himself as he eyed the other shinigami. Kid could still see how tense his brother was despite his attempt to appear relaxed. It was a little concerning to him but maybe it would be best not to say anything. It was obvious that Asura did not want to talk, so instead he said, "How about we go get some breakfast? It's still early enough that no one should be here and we still have the keys from last night."

Once he got another hesitant nod, Kid crawled out of the tent with Asura following behind him slowly. As the older boy stood, he felt a tug on his sleeve. It startled him and he flinched away from the touch, regretting it immediately when he met his brother's worried gaze. Before Kid could even ask , he shook his head and crossed his arms defensively. All Kid could do was stare in confusion before deciding to lead the way out of the room. He knew Asura was following because he could hear his quiet footsteps.

Once they arrived the older Reaper sat at the nearest table, slumping forward and putting his head in his hands. Kid frowned at this as worry twisted in his gut. He was quick to grab some food from the kitchen, just pop-tarts because they were easiest, and taking a seat right across from the older boy. Asura took the one offered to him and nibbled on the corner, still looking like he was exhausted. Hell, Kid was starting to think Asura hadn't slept at all.

"...Hey." Kid started, waiting for his brother to look at his before he continued. "Asura, you know you can tell me anything, right? I really want to help you, but I can't do that if you don't tell me what's wrong." There was a hesitant look on he brother's face, so Kid added, "At least tell us if something we're doing is scaring you or making you uncomfortable. We'll try our best to fix it, okay?"

Asura nodded in understanding, though it seemed like he was skeptical. It irritated Kid to some extent, but he saw the older boy start to fidget nervously and squashed that feeling down as something occurred to him. "Hey Asura...Can... can you feel my emotions?" The guilty look that crossed the other shinigami's face was all he needed to confirm that idea. It was a little strange to think, but he was pretty sure their father mentioned him having pretty good soul perception.

"That's pretty amazing you know. That you can sense people's emotions. There's only a few people that good, and I think most of them have a grigori soul." He offered a smile, hoping to ease some of the tension. When Asura smiled back he relaxed, feeling like he'd accomplished something.

They finished eating and Kid stood up, waving for Asura to follow. The elder Reaper didn't even try to move, just ducked his head and curled up in his seat. Kid was immediately concerned, reaching out to try to comfort(?) his brother only to be stopped by a large, red barrier. It made him worry more because Asura had never outright denied contact for him even if he did look incredibly uneasy. Even if the barrier flickered out of existence seconds later it didn't help.

If anything, he felt worse that Asura seemed to think had to stop. "S-sorry... I'm not thinking straight...I, um...I didn't sleep well..." The older boy mumbled quietly, rubbing at his eyes and trying to stifle a yawn.

"Well, if you're still tired, we can go back and you can sleep some more. I'll take the keys back to father, okay?" Kid suggested, waiting for a nod before he stood up to leave. "Okay, then let's get going. I don't really want to get caught by any of the teachers with father's keys and I don't know if father's called any of them for a meeting today."

"O-okay..." Asura said as he followed Kid's lead, silently agreeing with the younger boy as they walked back to his room in silence. They pushed open the door and to his surprise, the room was cleaned . The bed was made and, now that he looked, Asura thought there were more pillows. The black blanket he found that he liked was folded up at the foot of the bed. Everything else had been cleared away, dragged back to wherever they came from.

"Hey guy, we cleaned up already. Figured it would be quicker." Liz stated. The older Reaper offered a grateful smile to the girls, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around himself as he sat on the bed.

Kid settled at the table between the two girls, thinking quietly about something before he finally spoke. "Hey Asura? The next time we go to meet our friends, would you like to come?" He asked, watching his brother anxiously fidget as he thought about it. Finally the older Reaper shook his head.

"I...I don't think that's a good idea..." He said, quietly adding, "I-if I go outside people will stare and I don't want everyone to see how strange I look..." One hand raised slowly and covered his third eye. He turned away to avoid meeting the eyes of his brother and the boy's weapons. He didn't see the three exchange uneasy looks, but when Liz cleared her throat, he turned back to her.

"Maybe we can find you something to cover it with? Would that help?" The girl suggested, shrugging her shoulders. After a moment's thought, Asura nodded and smiled lightly behind his scarves. He wasn't sure if it would really help, but at least people wouldn't be able to see his third eye. That was a bit of a relief. "Okay, then I'll look around."

"Th-thank you..." He murmured before Kid spoke up.

"Well, I guess we'll just go." Kid said, standing up and adding, "I still have to go give father his keys back." Liz nodded, grabbing her things and motioning for a pouting Patty to do the same. "I'll see you later Asura."

The girls waved and smiled, Liz saying, "This was fun! We should do this again sometime, but with the others too!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Patty chirped happily. "We'll see ya later! Bye-bye!" Slowly, Asura raised a hand in farewell, smiling softly. He was happy even though he worried they were only trying to be nice. It was easier to forget about everything bad that had happened and just be normal for a while, even if he knew he was just pretending.

Once the door clicked shut, the Reaper yawned. He was tired from being up all night, and being surrounded by people practically drained all his energy from the previous night. He crawled under the covers of his bed that the girls had made for him, cocooning himself in the sheets once he was comfortable. Finally feeling safe, he closed his eyes to sleep.

.

.

.

Kid hesitantly approached his father, the keys Asura took last night held tightly in his hands. Admittedly, he was a bit worried that Shinigami would be angry. He himself had never stolen something... Nothing his father didn't need him to steal anyway. But that didn't count because it was usually from enemies of Shibusen and for good reason. The shade was not in his human form, probably because Stein and Spirit were both there. From where he was standing, he couldn't tell what they were talking about.

Seconds later, Shinigami noticed him standing there and waved his son over with a cheery, "Hiya Kiddo! How was your sleepover?" The nickname made him sigh, but he still looked up at Shinigami and answered.

"Good morning father. We had fun, but...um, you dropped these." Kid held up the keys, trying hard to sound as normal as possible. The older Reaper said nothing as the boy added, "We found them while we were cleaning up so I thought I'd bring them to you." He handed them off to his father, who took them without a word.

"Thank you Kid, I was looking for these, but I didn't want to bother you kids again. I was going to check Asura's room later. Speaking of Asura, how was he doing?" The man asked, setting the keys aside as he waited for an answer. The younger Reaper glanced at Stein and Spirit briefly and hesitated.

Finally he answered, "He seemed...Off today. He was quieter and more... I don't know...tired? Reserved?" The boy shrugged , not entirely sure he was using the right wording. "Is he going to be okay?" Shinigami didn't get to respond as Stein spoke up instead.

"He should be alright, it's probably just a bad day. It's not uncommon for people in his situation to have off days, just check up on him later and if it continues let one of us know. We would rather not see him regress after he's started trying to recover." The man said, fixing his glasses quickly.

Kid nodded, a small frown on his face at the thought of his brother shutting him out. It made him uneasy, but he knew his teacher was right. "I will." Then he turned to his father and added, "Would it be alright if I brought Asura out into the city sometime? I wanted to show him around and he can meet my friends then."

For a long moment Shinigami was silent, thinking over his son's request. Finally, he shrugged. "I suppose so, just don't leave him alone. The city has changed a lot and it might make him anxious. I wouldn't want him to have a panic attack." A smile broke out across the boy's face and he nodded.

"Thank you Father, I will make sure to keep an eye on him." By the look on the boy's face, Shinigami could already tell that Kid had something planned for his brother. Instead of asking about it, he let it go. There was no real reason to ask since he was sure that whatever Kid was thinking wasn't bad. " Well, I should go now. Before Patty decides to come looking for me."

"Alrighty then Kiddo. You go on and have fun." The shade said, ruffling the boy's hair and earning an upset squawk. Kid left grumbling under his breath and fixing his hair as he walked.

* * *

The next day had started out horribly. First he'd woken up screaming from a nightmare he couldn't remember, and then he'd tripped getting out of bed because the blanket decided to wrap around his legs. He spent ten minutes laying on the floor, too frustrated with this day to already to bother getting up. Hell, he even debated just climbing back into bed and sleeping all day. It was a desire he couldn't quite explain, but it left him confused because he'd only ever managed to sleep for a couple hours at most before...this.

Eventually he pushed himself off of the floor. He spotted his clothes folded neatly on the table and grabbing them as he entered the bathroom. The lock clicked into place and he sighed. He really was tired. Spending the day in bed seemed much more appealing with each minutes that passed, but he had been thinking about going to the library for a while and today seemed like the best day for it. Maybe he could find some more of those comic books Kid had shown him. Or more of the series he'd been given.

So he hurried to get dressed, turning away from the mirror as he did. He couldn't look at himself lately. Didn't want to see the scars and remember. He'd learned the hard way how bad of a panic attack he could have if he did that. The only good thing was that no one had been there to see it. Once he'd finished, he left the bathroom, fixing his scarf before leaving.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he was sure he was lost as he didn't remember the library taking so long to reach. Looking around the next corner made him sigh, it was the same place he'd passed earlier. Now he knew he really was lost, maybe it would be best to go back to his room for now. If Kid showed up later he could always ask his brother to show him the way again.

A hand on his shoulder startled him from his thoughts and he let out a frightened shriek. Before he could bolt down the hall, the person behind him spun him around and clasped his hands on the boy's shoulders. The red hair and suit looked oddly familiar, but at the moment Asura couldn't place where he'd met the man. The man spoke up then, concern etched onto his features.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm Spirit, your father's weapon." He offered a reassuring smile, noticing how tense the boy was. It took him a second to register that the tremors he felt were from the young Reaper's shaking. He looked terrified to see Spirit there. The man chose to ignore that for now though. "Asura, are you lost?" After a moment, Asura nodded and Spirit moved to stuff his hands in his pockets. "Okay, well where do you want to go? I can take you there."

Spirit got no response, aside from the shivers he could feel through his hands. Slowly, Asura took a few steps back, eyes darting around as he looked around. The man frowned, but quickly tried to change it to a reassuring smile. It was obvious that the Reaper didn't want to talk, so Spirit began to rummage through his pockets, grinning as he found what he wanted. His grin widened and he offered the pen and paper scrap to Asura, saying, "Here, just write where you want to go and I'll take you there." With a slight nod, Asura took the offered items and did as he was told.

Once he was done he handed the paper and pen back. It took Spirit a second to decipher the word written on the paper as Asura's handwriting was shaky, but he still understood it as " _Library_ ". The man smiled and nodded, "Alright, the library was this way!" He announced, pointing in the direction they would be going. "Follow me."

It was a short trip to the library, but the moment they entered the room, he saw the Reaper's eyes light up. It reminded Spirit a lot of Maka, and he couldn't help but smile fondly as Asura disappeared among the shelves.

Hours later Asura had been found curled in the corner, surrounded by piles of books and starting to fall asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys long time no update. I'm still here and I had too split this chapter in half because it was getting a bit too long. I'm so sorry though, my mental health took a nosedive and winter holiday stress made it so much worse. On the bright side, I feel better lately so I should get out some more chapters! Thank you for waiting and again, I'm so sorry!**

* * *

 _It was dark. Dark and cold and so very quiet. The constant drip of water had disappeared recently and he didn't know why nor did he care enough to find out. What would it matter anyway? He was still trapped, hands bound tightly above his head in the enchanted iron cuffs. His arms and wrists probably ached, but he could no longer tell._

 _...How long had he been like this? He wasn't sure but it felt like years. At this point he would give anything to see something or hear someone. As if sensing his thoughts, something rubbed up against his leg, making him jerk away instinctively. It was only the soft 'mew' that made him relax. "K-kuro..." he could just barely make out the white spots and pale green eyes on the cat. Admittedly, he was scared of her at first, but she was the only thing that didn't hurt him here. She had been a gift from Vajra, so he would not have to be alone when the man left._

 _He liked Kuro more than Vajra now. But the more attention he paid to Kuro, the more angry Vajra seemed to get. It didn't make sense. You were supposed to pay a lot of attention to pets or they got mean, right? He wanted Kuro to be nice. If she was nice, then it would be easier to handle her and surely she would be allowed to stay. Kuro mewed again and the scene shifted._

 _This time he was sitting on a bed, the metal bands around his wrists and neck kept him from leaving still. It was fine. He was used to them. Kuro was there too, curled into a purring ball in his lap while he pet her. Then he felt her stop, her needle-like claws digging into his leg momentarily as she stood. The little black and white cat trotted to the edge of the bed, sitting down and staring at the door with her ears pressed flat against her skull and her tail twitching in agitation._

 _He understood why though, he could hear the footsteps outside approaching fast. The second the door swung open Kuro leapt up, back arching and tail straight up. Her fur stood on end and she hissed at Vajra, who didn't even flinch at the sound as he made his way over. Asura's quickly snatched the cat up, keeping her close. Vajra didn't seem to even acknowledge the cat, just sitting himself beside his Meister and chatting about what he'd done when he was gone._

 _Asura ignored him in favor of calming Kuro, running his hands along the soft fur. He was used to doing this by now, tuning out Vajra, so much so that he hadn't realized the man stopped talking to glare at him and Kuro. It wasn't until the cat was snatched from his lap by the weapon that he paid the man any attention. Frightened by the action he hurried to take her back only for her to be held out of reach by the scruff of her neck. She hissed and spat and clawed at the air_

 _"I'm starting to think that a pet was a bad investment. You've been ignoring me since I brought it back." the man stated, voice almost completely void of emotion save for a threatening edge to it. It made Asura shiver, hearing him talk like that. But still... Kuro couldn't be taken away! She was the only kind thing here! He couldn't let her down like this._

 _"Y-you... you're s-supposed to spend a lot of... of t-time with pets... Sh-she would get m-mean if I didn't..." Asura said, trying to reason with his weapon. There was a moment of silence where he'd thought that maybe he'd gotten through to the man, even a little bit. That was the worst thing about Vajra's madness, he seemed so normal most of the time._

 _The man's eyes flickered to the enraged animal and he scowled. "This looks pretty mean to me, so I'd say you've done a poor job of caring for it. It's dangerous, what if it hurts you? " Asura had opens his mouth to respond, but Vajra simply carried on. "I'm sorry but I can't trust that it won't hurt you. I have to get rid of it." And with that he stood, taking the struggling cat with him as he strode to the door._

 _It took a moment to register what exactly was happening, but once his mind caught up, Asura hurried to intercept the weapon. He grabbed onto Vajra's arm, making the man pause long enough for him to try and take back the cat. It didn't work, instead he only earned himself a harsh shove back into the bed's frame. The moment it took to steady himself was all the time Vajra needed to leave, and by the time he reached the door, the lock had clicked into place. "VAJRA! VAJRA COME BACK! BRING HER BACK!" But no matter how much he screamed there was no answer. He couldn't sense Kuro. He couldn't sense Vajra. He was alone._

 _Slowly he slid to the ground, knowing full well that he would never see Kuro again. All he could do was close his eyes and try to pretend he wasn't there. He didn't even notice when the scene changed again, not until he felt something lean against him. Asura stiffened, trying his best not to panic as he gathered the courage to look. It might have been worse to see the scared golden eyes of his brother looking back instead of Vajra's own brown eyes._

 _The older boy could only stare in horror, because Kid was here! Here in this awful place with him. And the longer he looked, the worse Kid looked. His hair was a mess, completely disheveled yet still it looked like Kid had tried to fix it. His outfit was torn and stained and he looked incredibly tired. Still, he smiled weakly and whispered, "You're back...I was starting to think you weren't coming back."_

 _He tried to speak, but found he couldn't. The panic building in his chest was almost too much, and then he heard it. The familiar, heavy footsteps coming their way. With a frightened whimper he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, pulling him closer as if he thought he could hide him. Kid made a confused noise, strengthening his own grip on his brother. There was a loud bang from somewhere, but when Asura tried to locate it, he found that they were surrounded by darkness. Everything went quiet, setting him at the very edge of a panic attack._

 _Clinging to Kid was all he could do as he sat in the unnerving stillness. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. 'It's okay, ' he thought as reassuringly as he could. 'You're okay, we're okay. Someone will come for us... They have to, Kid is here. They will come for Kid. They'll save us.' The silence stretched on, the air growing heavier, but still Asura found himself relaxing. That was until he heard Vajra's voice whispering to him._

 _"You're doing it again." The man said, leaving Asura to stiffen in fear. "You're ignoring me." He had been ready to pull Kid closer to him after that but before he could move, the boy was torn from his arms with a terrified shriek. Asura quickly stumbled to his feet, trying to follow his brother and to get him back. The darkness was impossible to see through though, and Kid was lost to it. Opening his mouth, he tried to call for the boy but no sound escaped. He couldn't see Kid, couldn't call for him._

 _The darkness shifted then and Asura's head snapped up, meeting Vajra's eyes for only a moment before lowering his gaze. He wished he hadn't. If he hadn't he wouldn't have seen the blood staining the man's clothes, dark red smeared on his hands and a coppery scent filling the room. He didn't want to think about who's blood it was. He already knew, and it was too much. Too much blood. Was Kid even still alive after...?_

 _"This is your fault you know. I thought you would have learned after that cat." Vajra spoke, his tone flat as his eyes bore into the Reaper. Asura felt his chest tighten at that. It wasn't his fault! He wasn't the one who took Kid. Who killed Kid! As if having read his thoughts, the weapon continued, "You ignored me. We're partners, you can't just ignore me like I'm nothing."_

 _All at once Asura's voice came back to him and he snapped, screaming , "WE ARE NOT PARTNERS! YOU KIDNAPPED ME AND LOCKED ME AWAY! I FINALLY HAD MY FREEDOM! I FINALLY GOT TO SEE FATHER AGAIN! I MET MY BROTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME AND YOU! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" The glare Vajra sent him should have been enough of a warning for him, but instead he only continued. "YOU KILLED MY BROTHER VAJRA! FRIENDS DON'T DO THAT, PARTNERS DON'T DO THAT! SO NO! WE ARE NOT FRIENDS! WE ARE NOT PARTNERS! IN FACT I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO FUCKING MU-" The rest of his rant was cut off as Vajra's hand closed around his throat, drawing a choked shriek from the reaper._

 _"If that's what you want, then fine." Came the weapons response._

 _"I-I... Want K-k-kid back..." Asura gasped, trying his best to be able to breathe normally._

 _"Too bad what you wan doesn't matter to me. We aren't friends anymore nor are we partners, there's no reason for me to care." Vajra pulled him closer, so much so that their faces were barely an inch apart. His eyes narrowed and he growled, "I can't let you go again either, so just remembered. You asked for this."_

 _..._

Asura screamed as his body jolted upright, hands flying up to his throat where he swore he could still feel the weapon's hands. He could hardly breathe, and that was enough to trick his drowsy mind into believing that he was still being strangled. All he could manage was a weak struggle, thrashing about until the covers were thrown off and only snapping out of the terror fueled illusion when he fell to the floor. Then he sat up quickly, shuffling backwards against the wall and hugging his knees tightly to his chest.

The tears he'd only now realized were falling increased. He felt so stupid, so embarrassed for panicking over a stupid dream. It wasn't right, he should be better than that. He was supposed to be better, but those thoughts only made him feel worse. Sniffing quietly and wiping his nose on his sleeve, the reaper glanced cautiously around the room. It was empty, just like it had been when he went to sleep. A part of him wanted to search the room thoroughly, just to be sure, but he couldn't find it in him to get up and check.

The uneasiness making his skin crawl was nothing more than a passing effect of the nightmare. But it was strangely real. Especially Kuro. He hadn't thought of the little cat for a long time, not since the night she was taken away from him. The poor thing had been killed, her skull crushed by Vajra's heavy boots in a fit of envy. When her soul had flickered out, losing the shimmer all living things had, he'd known he wouldn't get her back. But he hadn't known how she died exactly, until he'd stumbled across the little skeleton during one of his escape attempts. Seeing the broken white pieces showing through what little fur and flesh hadn't rotted away was too much.

He had gotten sick right then and there, and retreated to his cell to hide. He recalled mourning her all over again, and Vajra too. It was the first time he really had acknowledged that his partner was gone. The Vajra he'd known could never be so cruel. Vajra was gone and only the Kishin remained, something Asura found he tended to forget in the naive hope that maybe things could go back to normal.

The click of the door opening caught his attention then, and he closed his eyes as he attempted to curl further in on himself. He could hear the footsteps approaching quickly, yet he couldn't sense a thing. That fact only scared him more, and it wasn't until the person was right in front of him, probably crouching if the rustling of settling fabric was any indication. The only reason he even looked up was because he recognized the voice speaking to him. "Asura... Are you alright?" It was a quiet question, and so simple, but before he could stop himself, he was sobbing into his arms again. The shame and embarrassment was too much, he couldn't believe he'd let his father see him like this.

Shinigami sighed in relief, only because he had been worried that something had happened to his son when he felt the sudden panic. It was only a nightmare, and he was well aware that Asura was prone to them. It was understandable though, as he had created the boy from his fear. Of course he would have nightmares. The only bad thing was that Asura seemed to get embarrassed when people found out. Reaching out slowly, the man set a hand on his son's knee, taking note of how his breath hitched at the touch. "It's okay Asura. There is nothing to fear, you're safe here, remember?"

Carefully the Reaper shifted to sit beside Asura, gently setting his cloak over the younger god's shoulders. He wasn't sure what else to do besides that and continuing to offer quiet reassurances. Even if it didn't feel like he was doing much, it seemed to help Asura calm down enough to raise his head and wipe at his eyes. In a soft, shaky voice, he apologized, " I... I'm so sorry... Y-you weren't supposed to see me like... like this..."

"It's okay." Shinigami replied immediately, catching the uncertain look that crossed the boy's face for a brief moment. He was quick to elaborate, "I would expect your nightmares to be worse after what happened. I know it wasn't easy, and I know you've always suffered from nightmares that you don't like talking about. I was just worried that you had gotten hurt."

Asura nodded slowly to show he understood. It was enough to prompt the elder into asking, "Do you want to tell me about it? Sharing it might help you feel better." This time he shook his head, too afraid to tell about the memory-like dreams. Shinigami seemed to deflate slightly at this, but he didn't push. Instead he said, "Alright. But just know that I will listen if you do want to tell me." Another nod was his only response, and it took everything he had to not sigh when he noticed Asura kept eyeing him cautiously. Instead he said, "Asura, do you want to be alone right now? I can leave if you want."

Asura nodded slowly yet again, before hiding his face in his arms. A part of the older Reaper was disappointed but he figured he should probably not push his luck. If he tried to pry he might frighten Asura and send him into a panic attack. It was the last thing he wanted to do right now when he wanted to comfort his son. So Shinigami reached over and gently ruffled the younger god's hair, trying not to worry about how he tensed under the touch as he stood up.

Once he reached the door, he turned to Asura again and said, "If you can, try to get back to sleep. It's one in the morning." Once he got a nod in response, he left, closing the door behind him. That was when he let his expression drop to on of disappointment, knowing that he was unable to help his son. "...hm, maybe... Maybe I should have him see a therapist like Kiddo does."

A few minutes after the older Reaper left, Asura slowly stood. He didn't really want to go back to sleep, but there was nothing to do at this time of day. Another glance around the room brought his attention to the bookshelf, or more specifically the little book hidden on top of it. The journal Kid had brought for him sat unused there since he'd gotten it. Maybe if he wrote down some things he would feel better? Kid did say it might help.

Mind made up, he retrieved the journal and a pen before curling up in the bed and propping the book on his knees. He started writing down the nightmare, talking about Kuro and Vajra. It did make him uneasy when he tried to write any details so he just didn't. It was a little relaxing. Until he reached the part about Kid.

A weight settled in his chest, growing heavier with each word he wrote about Kid being there. It was getting harder to breathe and the tears were gathering at the corners of his eyes. But as much as he wanted to go and check on his brother he didn't. It was late and there was no way Vajra would have gotten to him, right? But then, he had hidden himself before and he had even managed to hide Asura from his father. It was only right to assume he could possibly sneak in and go after Kid without them knowing.

Asura stood suddenly rubbing at his eyes as he hurried across his small room to the door. It wasn't long before he stood right in front of his brother's door, hand raised to knock yet unable to. What if he was just being paranoid about this? What if he was waking Kid up? What if Kid was upset with him for it? It was almost enough for him to just go back to his own room. The only thing stopping him was the thought that if Kid really was gone, nobody would know until morning, and it would be harder to track him down then.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked lightly on the door, waiting a few minutes before repeating the action a little more frantically. As he raised his hand to knock the third time, it opened and Kid stood there. His usually neat hair was a little ruffled and he stared up at Asura with a blank expression that slowly morphed to one of confusion. "...Asura? What are you doing up? It's... " Kid leaned back into his room, staring at something Asura couldn't see before turning back the the older boy. "It's one thirty in the morning and... have you been crying?"

The concern in Kid's voice was enough to get him to answer. "I...I'm fine now...I'm sorry I woke you. I'll, um, I-I'll go now..." Kid was quick to grab his brother's arm before he could bolt back to his room, though he did feel guilty for the startled yelp he got for doing it. He could only shrug as Asura stared back at him with wide, terrified eyes.

"Sorry, I just, do you want to come in my room for a bit?" The younger Reaper offered, not really leaving room for Asura to argue as he led him in. Kid's room was as clean as he expected, though Kid had a dresser at the foot of his bed, which was centered in the room, and two bookshelves on either side. The younger boy made sure Asura wasn't going to try and run before making himself comfortable next to the older god. He watched his brother carefully, noting his shaky hands and darting eyes. It was obvious that he wasn't okay.

Still, Kid wasn't sure what to say. When he finally thought he had something, Asura spoke up in the quietest voice he'd ever heard his brother use. "K-kid?... Can... Can I, um, hug you?" it took a second to register the request, but once he did, Kid beamed.

"Of course, if it helps you feel better I'd even let you sleep here." There was a moment of hesitation where it looked like the older god was considering the offer, but he soon shook his head and shuffled a little closer. Kid wrapped his arms around his brother's neck and leaned into the hug. Slowly Asura's arms circled around his back and he was practically crushed by the strong grip. He was happy though, that Asura would come to him for comfort.

A few minutes passed, and that was when Kid realized Asura had started crying again, so quiet that he would never have noticed if the tears weren't soaking into his nightshirt. After a moments hesitation, Kid asked, "Are you sure you're okay?" He received a nod a little too long after his question, but he could still remember his father's advice, to not pressure Asura too much incase he scared the older boy away. "So... Why did you wake me up in the middle of the night anyway?"

For a long moment, Asura remained silent. Then he quickly released his brother and pulled away from him, arms crossing defensively over his chest and he turned his head away. "It's nothing brother... I... I was just being paranoid." Kid's skeptical look did not go unnoticed, and the elder god stood abruptly, adding, "I... I think I'm going to go back to my room... Good night Kid." And he quickly left, hearing Kid scramble to follow, probably surprised by the sudden departure. Once safely back inside his room, Asura locked the door behind him and ignored Kid's worried voice from the other side, asking him to come out.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to tell him now Kid?" Liz asked, fiddling with the red headband in her hands as the trio walked away from their last class of the day. "I mean, it's a big change after all, maybe we should give him a warning?"

Kid shook his head at the suggestion and opened his mouth to answer the weapon, when Patty suddenly shoued, "Nooo! Lizzy it's a surprise! You can't ruin the surpise like that! It's no fun!"

"I have to agree with Patty on this one. I want to surprise him with this. As long as nobody says anything he'll be okay." Kid stated, pausing for a moment before addin, "that means nothing about there being a surprise either. I don't know how he'd react knowing that something is coming without knowing what it is."

Though Liz looked a little unsure, she nodded. "I guess if you're sure." She would have to trust Kid on this, since he did know Asura longer than they did. They were brothers after all, and even though Kid mentioned Asura being a little skeptical of him, the older boy seemed to like him. "I hope everything goes well today though, we have to make sure to watch Black Star. He'll probably think Asura's okay enough for a fight." She didn't miss the thoughtful frown that settled on Kid's face at the mention of the other boy.

"I doubt Black Star could sneak up on Asura, his soul perception is really good." Kid stated, slowing momentarily as he spotted the door to Asura's room. "Anyway, we're here, so please be quiet and don't ruin the surprise." There was a warning tone to his voice, but Liz only shrugged it off while Patty saluted him with a silly grin.

Kid knocked lightly few times before the door finally opened a crack, Asura's red eyes glowing as he peered out at them cautiously. Once he recognized them, the door opened wider to let them through. Kid waltzed in without much of a thought, followed closely by the sisters. Patty beamed at the older boy, before opening her arms and pausing slightly as she remembered to ask, "Can I have a hug this time pwease?" The shorter blonde deflated as Asura slowly shook his head, pouting slightly like she did the other day at not getting her way.

With that over, Asura turned to Kid with a questioning look as he quietly asked, "Um...b-brother? Is...is everything alright? Y-you...you brought your weapons this time too..." The older reaper's eyes darted between the boy and the sisters.

"Yeah, everything is fine Asura." The younger boy told him with the most reassuring tone he had. Even still Asura seemed on edge, afraid of what ever he didn't know. In order to fix that, Kid continued. "We're going out today with our friends is all, and we thought you should come too." It was no surprise when his brother hesitated, scratching nervously at his arm with an unsure look.

"I...I don't know brother...th-there will be other people and...and they're going to s-stare at me a-and...I...I can't!" Asura stated, his voice shaky as he shrunk away from the younger boy, the familiar feeling of fear clawing it's way into his chest, the fear of disappointing Kid. "W-w-what...what if they make fun of me? I-I look strange...I..." Nobody missed how he ducked his head to hide his third eye behind his hair., eyes focused on the ground.

A moment of silence passed before Liz took a step forward, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the red cloth she'd stuff back in there earlier. She held this out to Asura with a smile and said, "I remember you said something about that before, so I got you this. It's a headband, and it should cover your third eye without hurting it."

As Asura reached out to grab it hesitantly, he glanced between the three of them once more. The look in their eyes told him all he needed to know, so he focused on the ground and sighed. "...I-I don't have much of a choice...do I?" He refused to look up at them as he carefully fitted the headband over his third eye and fixed his hair so it felt more comfortable. When nobody spoke up, he lifted his head again.

"You don't have to-" Kid started, only to be cut off by Asura shaking his head.

"I-I-I...I want to...it's okay..." he whispered, smiling slightly behind his scarf.

Kid smiled softly then, "Alright, let's go then. We can go to a book store too! I'm sure you'll like it." And with that he turned on his heel, leading the way out.

* * *

Asura wasn't sure what he expected upon meeting Kid's friends, but they seemed pretty friendly. Still, even as his brother introduced them once again and with more enthusiasm than expected, he kept a respectable distance. The ashy blonde girl was Maka, and her partner was the albino boy Soul. Tsubaki was Black Star's weapon partner, and Black Star... "Guys, where's Black Star?" The question came from Kid, who looked around the group again.

Maka was the one to answer, her face pulling into an annoyed expression as she said, "Where do you think?" She pointed behind them. Asura didn't have time to turn around before having to leap away from where he stood. Crouched in the place where he just was was Black Star, who stood quickly and rounded on Asura.

"HEY YOU!" He shouted, not noticing the reaper flinch at his shout. "IF YOU'RE WELL ENOUGH TO WALK, YOU'RE WELL ENOUGH FOR A FIGHT! C'MON, LET'S GO!" The boy shouted.

"W-w-what? I'm sorry!" The reaper exclaimed, bowing his head and putting his hands8 together as he stuttered out an apology. "I...I don't think I'm allowed too! The last time I spoke to Mr. Stein he told me I should take it easy! A-and I doubt father would approve!" The last thing he wanted at the moment was to get in trouble with Shinigami, as he was was certain the man would not like him fighting his students.

Black Star frowned before shouting, "Oh come on! You expect me to believe that? You're just scared of fighting me, aren't you!" Beside him Kid growled threateningly, knowing he would most likely be ignored.

"I am! Please stop!" Asura whined, keeping his head down so he was unable to see Black Star slouch slightly in confusion.

"Black Star stop it." Kid growled, brushing past his friend to stand by his brother. "He really isn't allowed to fight and he doesn't like yelling." He carefully set a hand on the older god's arm, giving him a moment before he asked, "Are you alright?" Slowly Asura forced himself to relax and nod.

"I...I am. I'm sorry..." Kid opened his mouth to respond but Black Star let out a pained shout that caught their attention and made the older boy flinch again. Maka stood over the blue-haired boy, a thick book held in her hands while he kneeled on the ground, clutching at his head.

Once he recovered he started shouting angrily, "DAMMIT MAKA! WHAT THE HELL?! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" He trailed of into quieter grumbles and looked away as she held the book up threateningly once more.

"You were supposed to behave Black Star. No fights, remember?" The girl reprimanded him, a frustrated tone obvious in her voice. Black Star mumbled again, eyes landing on Soul and Tsubaki.

"Guys! Help a fella out here!" He exclaimed, only to be met by Soul shaking his head and Tsubaki smiling apologetically. Once he realized he wasn't going to get help, he crossed his arms and turned away with a huff. "Some friends you guys are!"

"Well, you did say you wouldn't fight Kid's brother." Tsubaki stated, turning to Asura with an apology. "I'm so sorry, I thought he would actually listen. Are you alright?" Asura only nodded, both answering her question and accepting her apology before burying his face in his scarves.

"And that wasn't very cool of you. It's the first time he's been out since..." The albino boy paused, then tried to shrug off the slip as he added, "I just think you could have tried to be cooler. Follow my lead next time." An awkward silence settled over them as Black Star pouted and Kid attempted to calm Asura. The silence only caused the older god to become more anxious.

It was Patty who broke the silence, seemingly impatient to get going. "What're we waiting for? Let's go already! I wanna get ice cream!" Everyone else turned to her, and Black Star leapt to his feet excitedly.

"Aw yeah! I bet I can eat more than all of you!" He shouted while Tsubaki shook her head at the declaration.

"Please don't, you'll make yourself sick like last time." Liz patted Tsubaki's shoulder in understanding, knowing full well Patty would gladly accept that challenge.

"If he does that we ditch him." Maka stated, already tired of the blue haired boy's antics. Though she had a small smile as she spoke.

Kid frowned, quickly announcing, "I won't pay for you if you do that. Last time I did, you cost me a small fortune. So you better have your own money." Then the boy turned back to his brother, smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry, the place we're going is pretty quiet so you should be alright. You only tried vanilla ice cream before, wait until you try some of these other flavors." Kid offered a reassuring smile, which Asura returned shyly, before leading the way to the shop. Asura followed along, both anxious and excited to finally be outside and in a safe place after so long.

* * *

 **I should have the next part up this weekend or next weekend! So let's hope so!**


	16. Chapter 16

_**I'm alive, had a terrible time, but that's not what you're here to hear. Here I give you a new chapter after so long!**_

* * *

It started off small, just a mild paranoia and slight uneasiness that Asura quickly tried to push aside on their way to the ice cream shop. But it stayed with him, and nagged at the back of his mind the whole way. Perhaps it was just his nerves, after all he was never very good with people and he did not want to make a worse impression on Kid's friends than he was sure he already had. When the feeling relented some, he was wary and found himself glancing around in confusion. It made him more nervous, than he was already so he stuck as close to Kid as he thought he could before the boy would get uncomfortable.

Even so, he couldn't find any comfort from being closer to Kid. The uneasy feeling persisted and finally Asura recognized it. It was the same feeling he got when he was being watched, a familiar sensation that he absolutely hated. It was too familiar, a terrifying reminder that he wasn't normal. That people were watching him. He fell back a couple steps to walk behind the group of kids, arms crossing defensively as he pinned his gaze to the ground. The only reason he knew where to go was by following after Kid's soul so he wouldn't have to look up.

Occasionally Kid would glance back at him or ask him questions that he tried his best to answer. It was just difficult to think with his paranoia getting to him, so more often than not he would nod or shake his head instead of speaking. This continued even as they reached the small building, only easing up once they were inside. The group quickly found themselves a corner booth and Asura seated himself in the farthest corner.

He stayed like that, offering to hold their spot until Kid and his friends came back with the ice cream. He didn't miss the worried glance Kid shot him as the younger boy slowly followed after his friends. Once back Kid passed him his ice cream. "...Asura, are you okay?" The boy asked carefully, sliding into the spot beside his brother. The question made Asura pause, eyes flickering to Kid briefly before he focused on the bowl in front of him. When he didn't speak up right away, Kid added, "You've been a little on edge since we left the school."

"...I...I think so, I just...feel a little paranoid. It felt like someone was watching me...b-but the feeling is gone now." Asura answered quietly and hesitantly, taking a deep breath before he looked up at Kid and smiled as reassuringly as he could.

The younger Reaper frowned slightly, but nodded. He carefully patted his brother's arm and said, "It was probably just some curious civilians Asura. Nothing to worry about." That earned him a nod before Asura turned back to his food.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case," Maka spoke up between spoonfuls of ice cream. "I think I even saw a few staring on the way here. Everyone always thought Kid was Shinigami-sama's only son, so they're probably a little confused is all."

A part of him disagreed with them. He wasn't sure why, but it felt different than just curious humans. It could have just been his paranoia though, so he nodded slowly and focused on the bowl in front of him. He could try to pretend it wasn't bothering him. "R-right..."

...

The second they left the small shop, Asura was on edge again. He glanced around cautiously, but but found no one looking in their direction. The feeling of being watched continued to grow and left him fiddling with his scarves in an attempt to calm his building paranoia. It wasn't until Kid dropped back and gently placed a hand on his arm that he was able to focus a little better. He couldn't help hiding behind his scarves though, as he worried that he was embarrassing himself and his brother.

So he tried his best to push his worries to the back of his mind and enjoy himself. As they approached the new building, Black Star huffed. "Awww man, really? A book store?" the blue-haired boy complained. Asura perked up at the words and smiled softly at Kid. Black Star didn't even notice, his shoulders slumping as he added, "I'm not going in there, book stores are for nerds like Maka."

Soul snorted at his partner's offended squawk, playfully elbowing the girl. "He's right Maka, reading is for losers with nothing better to do. It's really not cool to sit around and read as much as you do." Even though his tone was teasing it only made the situation worse.

The blonde shot an enraged glare his way, grinding her teeth as she pulled out her book from earlier. "MAKA CHOP!" She brought the book down on both boys' heads with a resounding crack that made Asura flinch. "NO ONE SAID YOU HAD TO COME IN WITH US!"

"I agree with Maka. You two can always go on ahead, no one is forcing you to come with us." Kid stated, before turning to Asura and adding, "Don't mind them Asura. They're idiots who can't keep their mouths shut." He ignored them as he reassuringly patted Asura's arm, getting a nod in acknowledgement of his statement.

"Alright, fine," Soul said, pulling himself off of the ground. "I guess we'll see you in a few." He gave a quick wave and tucked his hands into his pockets as he turned to leave. Black Star huffed, folding his arms behind his head and following his friend, it didn't take long for their loud laughter to start up, but it went ignored as Liz spoke.

"Me and Patty are going to go ahead too. You remember the last time she turned a display into a giraffe statue and the owner got mad?" She stated, with a shrug. Kid nodded.

Patty giggled at the memory, "I remember that! It was fun, but that guy didn't have to be so mean, ya know Lizzy?" Liz nodded in agreement, and her sister added, "Bye Kid! Bye Asu! We're gonna crush them in basketball." The girl had already started skipping off when Kid nodded in understanding.

Liz hung back just a little longer to ask, "Hey Tsubaki, you coming?"

"Oh, no. I think I'm going to grab a few cookbooks to try something new! And maybe a new manga." She replied with a dismissive wave and a smile. Liz smiled back then and returned the gesture before she turned to leave.

"Let me know if you find a good one."

"I will!"

With their final, temporary goodbyes done, Kid led them into the store, immediately dragging the older Reaper off the explain each genre to him. The bookstore's quiet atmosphere made it much easier for Asura to relax somewhat. Perusing the wodden shelves for things he might like with Kid there to help him if he needed it. Tsubaki and Maka even joined them once they found what they wanted and were more than happy to talk about their favorite books.

The feeling of being watched remained the entire time, but Asura found himself brushing it off as curious people like Kid and Maka had said. It did make sense after all. By the time they were done, Asura had managed to get a rather large selection with their help and was happy to wait near the entrance while Kid payed for them. The uneasy feeling made itself known again and found himself shifting nervously as he tried to find who ever was the source of his uneasiness. No one in the store seemed to be watching him, so he peered out the storefront window.

He scanned the crowds, trying to find the source of his uneasiness. It didn't take long to notice the figure seated across the street at a table outside a small cafe. They stood out with their whole body covered from head to toe. Long black pants and a brown jacket covered most of them and the jacket's hood was pulled up over their head and a red bandana covered the lower half of their face beneath their eyes.

They had to be the one who was watching him, right? The thought made him nervous, especially as he realized they were looking right at the store. He almost didn't noticed Kid and his friends approaching him, but thankfully he did. With a small smile and a quiet thanks, he took the bags with his books in them.

As they left the small bookstore, Asura glanced back to where he had seen that person sitting. They were gone now but the feeling of being watched remained.

...

Once they found the rest of the group at the park, Asura broke away to sit on a bench at the far end of the basketball court they were at. He had listened to them explain their game again, but hadn't really been sure he should play. So instead he chose to sit and read some of his new books. Liz also chose to stay out of the game, seating herself beside him while she painted her nails, claiming it was so the teams would be equal.

They were a nice distraction from his thoughts, the one in his hands being a book about deep sea animals was particularly interesting, if not a bit unsettling. It still didn't help him shake the constant paranoia he felt since spotting the strange person outside the bookstore. Suddenly, the same thought from earlier that morning hit him. If Vajra was able to hide him from Shinigami for so long, surely he could hide himself. If Vajra really did manage to hide himself then that stranger watching him could have been the weapon. And the only reason he could think of for Vajra to be in the city at all was because he was after Kid or himself.

Liz's voice jarred him from those thoughts as she started speaking, "Asura?" Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper, and she stared at him with concern. "You're shaking. Are you okay?" He hesitated for a moment before he nodded slowly, earning a frown from Liz that let him know she didn't believe him. With a sigh he slowly closed the book and took a deep breath.

"I would rather not talk about it, I...I'm probably just being paranoid." He said, choosing instead to stare at the ground than risk looking at the blonde. A few moments passed in silence before Asura decided to ask, "Um...what are you doing?" He gestured to the glass bottle in her hands.

She quirked a brow at that before looking down at the bottle in her hands. "Oh, painting my nails. You want me to paint yours? I only have purple on me right now but we can always change the color later." Asura glanced down at his own hands, taking a moment to think it over before hesitantly offering Liz his hand.

"That's fine." He stated, sitting still as she started.

"Okay, just let me know if you change your mind." Liz stated, pausing for a moment before adding, "Do you bite your nails a lot, because that's not very good. One of these days I'm going to show you how to take proper care of them you hear? Hell, I'll show you all sort of cool tricks like I did with Kid. It'll be fun, you, me, Kid and Patty can all do it. We can make a day out of it. That would be fun."

"...okay." Asura mumbled, slightly thrown off by how chatty Liz had suddenly become.

"Good." She stated absentmindedly, "And I'm going to teach you about fashion, you got that? When we go get you new clothes I'm helping you because no offense, but your sense of fashion is not the best."

"H-hey, my fashion sense is fine." Asura squawked, slightly offended.

"I can imagine what the clothes you wore when we met looked like in good condition and frankly, I would assume you robbed a homeless person if I saw you in that." Liz smirked, a teasing tone showing through her voice.

Asura huffed, burying his face in his scarves to try and hide the embarrassed blush on his face. "It's not _that_ bad." Liz hummed in response as she switched to his other hand. Asura lifted it to inspect and took a moment to glance back at the rest of them.

"Maybe not, but I'm still going to dress you. I like doing this sort of thing, you don't mind too much?" Asura shrugged, it didn't really make a difference to him really. If Liz wanted to show him what ever new fashions they had now, then she could. Liz fell silent after that and once she was finished Asura picked up the book again. He wasn't able to continue reading though, as he felt uneasy again without someone to talk to. Carefully he peered over the book and glanced around the area, until his eyes landed on the same person who he saw outside the book store. Asura tensed immediately, his hands shaking again as he stared back. They leaned against a tree across from where he was and even though he couldn't see their face, he could feel their eyes on him.

Liz seemed to have noticed that he was tense again, as she was looking at him too, and Kid had paused in his game to glance their way. Kid must have sensed his fear then, and Asura took his eyes away for only a second to smile as reassuringly as he could at his brother. When he looked back to that spot, the stranger was gone again.

That was the last straw. Asura leapt to his feet, stumbling slightly as the panic started to setting in. Liz was was quick to follow him, and Kid broke away from his game to chase after them both. "Asura! Asura wait!" Kid called, quickly passing Liz and latching onto his brother's arm. The older Reaper jerked at the touch, pulling his arm away and staring at Kid with wild, terrified eyes. Kid managed to hold Asura's gaze for a brief second before his eyes darted around the area nervously. The younger boy glanced around as well to try and find what had made his brother so uneasy, only to find nothing out of place. "Asura, what's wrong? You can tell me, you know? It's alright."

There was no answer right away, the older god glancing around the area once more and taking a few deep breaths. He tried to speak only for no sound to come out the first couple of times. Finally though, he managed a quiet, squeaky whisper, "I-I-I...I w-want to go..." Swallowing back his building anxiety, Asura continued. "I-I think...I...I'm ha-hallucinating...I-I..I want t-to go back." It took a moment for Kid to understand but then he nodded.

"You want to go home." He stated, more to himself than to Asura. "Okay, okay, we can go. Just give me a moment." When he turned to face his friends, Asura's shaky hand on his shoulder stopped him form running over to the group being kept back by Liz.

"N-n-no...I-I...I know...know the way back. I...y-you ca-can stay.." He told Kid, trying to muster the best smile he could even as his eyes started to water.

Kid paused, mouth hanging open in shock at the idea for a brief second before he was able to speak again. "I am _not_ leting you walk home alone if you're hallucinating! What kind of person do you think I am?!" His voice came out much harsher than he had meant for it to and it made Asura flinch. A horrified expression crossed the older reaper's face and he tried to hide it by ducking his head and wiping the away as quickly as he could. Appalled at his own response, Kid hurried to apologize to the older boy. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say it like that! I'm jus-"

Asura quickly cut his brother off with a quiet, "I...I understand..." He shifted nervously and continued to stare at the ground, missing Kid's attempt to hide his panicked expression. He didn't need to see it to know he was the cause of it. It added onto the guilt he already felt for making Kid abandon his game, crushing the panic down to make room for itself. "If...th-that is...um...if that's what you think is best..." He trailed off and peered up at Kid, adding, "I-I just want to go back."

With a nod, the younger boy said, "Alright, let me just go get Liz and Patty and say good bye first." Once he got a quiet affirmative, Kid turned back and sprinted towards his friends.

Asura stood there, watching them silently until the creeping uneasiness he'd been feeling all day returned. It took everything he had to stop himself from looking for the source again. He knew full well he would bolt if he spotted them again. Instead he tried to focus on Kid, much prefering to watch his brother interact with his friends. However he couldn't help but feel guilty. Kid kept shifting nervously and even tried to straighten his pristine clothes as he offered the other kids an apologetic smile. _'Apologizing for leaving because of me...'_ Asura realized, curling in on himself slightly.

When Kid trotted back over with his weapons in tow, Asura chose to keep his gaze pinned to his shoes. Even when he felt Kid softly tap his shoulder he couldn't raise his eyes higher than the collor of his brother's shirt. It was still enough to see him gesture in the other kids' direction, so he turned to glance at them. The group was closer now, and they waved at them. Maka calling out, "Bye guys! It was nice meeting you Asura!" The other girl, Tsubaki if he remembered right, only smiled softly and waved.

"Hey! If you ever wanna hang out again, let us know. It's cool." Soul added, stuffing his hands in his pockets and grinning broadly enough to show off his sharp teeth.

"YEAH! You owe me a fight! Let me know when you're good enough to battle!" Black Star shouted, shaking one fist at the older god in a threatening manner. Asura only raised his hand part of the way to give a small wave before Kid tugged him along. Even with his back turned he could hear the echoing crack and the blue haired boy's pained shout, followed by an annoyed, " _E_ _nough with the fighting already! He's still hurt!"._

Asura smiled behind his scarf, watching Kid shake his head as Patty skipped ahead. The girl swung the bags of books he'd gotten back and forth, having grabbed them from the bench he'd been sitting at before he'd panicked. He knew he was still being watched, but at this point he was scared to look around. He kept his head down, gaze pinned stubbornly to the ground and focusing his soul perception on Kid so he knew where to go.

* * *

When they finally stopped walking, Asura glanced around curiously. He had to stifle his initial fear at the unfamiliar area, reminding himself that Kid was not the kind of person who would take him to an unknown place without reason. They were still within the city limits anyway so surely Death would interfere if there was something wrong. Kid suddenly clapped his hands, not seeing his brother flinch back at the sound as the boy's back was still towards his brother. "Okay! Honestly, I'm a little surprised you never stopped us on the way here but that's just fine. So," Kid turned around to look at the older reaper with a small smile. "You probably don't recognize this area anymore since the city has change a lot. But father said you should recognize this."

Asura was carefully pulled to stand beside Kid as the boy pointed to the building in front of them. For a moment Asura stared blankly at his brother, then slowly turned his head to see what kid was talking about. It took a moment to recognize, but if the familiar, excessive amount of skulls on this manor wasn't enough to remind him Asura wasn't sure he could ever recognize it. "The...the Gallows... " He turned back to Kid with a questioning look, voice barely above a whisper. "But I thought... We're not allowed to be here right? I thought father said... " Kid gave him a gentle pat on his back.

"Initially yes, but I compromised. We figured you might feel better at home," Kid explained, adding, "And I didn't want to stay at the school anymore anyway. It's not that bad I suppose, but I missed being here." Asura nodded in understanding but didn't speak. Kid took that as his chance to continue. "So...just so you know, if you sense any strangers around the property, don't worry. Father only agreed to let us back here if he added security personnel and it will probably be them. I think he's being paranoid, but I suppose it's better than staying in the school. He also said to tell you that you're getting a bigger room. I'll show you it. We already had your things brought from your room in Shibusen as well as everything from your old room." Slowly Asura nodded, trying to sort through everything he was told.

"Okay... I understand." Asura murmured quietly, offering his brother a small smile. The younger boy opened his mouth to respond, but both Reapers yelped as Patty threw her arms around them. Asura immediately jerked away from her while Kid steadied himself.

A second passed as Patty seemed to realize what happened and she chirped out an apology. "Sowwy Asura... I'm just excited! It's soooooo much nicer here than back in that stuffy room at school! I'm gonna show you all around and I'll introduce you to all my giraffes! We're gonna have so much fun!" The younger girl exclaimed, the let out a gasp. "We should have another sleepover! It'll be great!"

Before her sister could continue, Liz stepped forward. "Maybe not tonight Patty. He only just got back. Let him settle in first." She turned to look at Asura for a moment and smiled encouragingly. The grateful look on his face said everything he couldn't seem to. It made the older blonde's smile widen. "We all good? Good. Come on, let's get inside, order dinner, and do something!" Liz stated, leading the way with Patty breaking away to trot after her sister.

It took a moment for Kid and Asura to follow along, but soon enough the four of them stood in the foyer. Liz and Patty were quick to run off with a promise to return shortly, leaving the Reapers alone. Kid noticed right away that Asura had been immediately interested in looking around curiously. He took the chance to grab the keys from a nearby table and saying, "Okay, so here. I have a set of house keys for you. That way if you need to go out you can always get back in." The younger boy stated, handing Asura a little keyring. He slowly took it from Kid turning it over in his hands and listening to the little clinks it made. Hanging off of it were a few little trinkets that he recognized as characters from his comics.

"Th-thank you... " Asura muttered quietly as he pocketed them and smiled. Slowly he drifted away from the younger boy to continue exploring, only getting to the staircase before Liz and Patty came back. The younger girl leaned over the railing of the stairs andvexcitedly shoved a small, tuffed giraffe toy with a red bow around it's neck towards him. They stood, frozen in place for a long moment before Asura shifted his gaze from the toy to Patty. She responded by leaning forward a little more with a bright grin on her face.

"Here! A gift for you!" she chirped out, waving the toy back and forth until he slowly reached out to take it. Once Asura had the stuffed animal, she added, "I call him Colossus, he's your welcome home gift!" Asura nodded at that, smiling at her and muttering a quiet thanks as he fidgeted with his new toy.

Liz stepped up next, drawing his attention to her as she offered up the jacket draped over her arm. Asura passed his giraffe toy to her when he took it so he could hold it up. "It's a hoodie, um, a hooded jacket. I figured you might like one since they're usually pretty comfortable and the hood could help hide you better. It's a bit big though, but they're the best when they're a little oversized." She rambled, nervously scratching the back of her head As she watched him inspect the jacket.

It was black, with two white lines trailing down the front and ending in a circle around a mark that looked like Death's new mask. There were also two white patches that were sewn onto the shoulders, with crimson markings like the eye tattoos on his hands. It did seem quite large but he still slipped it on and muttered another thanks. Even though the sleeves slipped over his hands and the hood almost covered his eyes he decide he liked it that way. Liz was right though, he could hide himself better.

With a smile, Liz handed the toy giraffe back to him and said, "Glad you like it!" before turning to Kid. "Alright Kid. Me and Patty will get something for dinner. You do whatever you have to do." Kid nodded, though she didn't wait for it as she spun around and left the room with Patty behind her. 0

"So, now you come with me. I'll show you your new room like I said. That way you can settle in a bit before dinner." Kid stated, gesturing for Asura to follow him. The older boy trailed along behind his brother, still glancing around and picking out the differences in his old home. There was definitely new furniture, and more of it. More decorations along the walls than they had before. It was so similar, but so different than he remembered.

Finally Kid stopped out side of a door in the second floor hallway. "Okay this is your new room." The younger boy stated, pointing at the door before turning and pointing down the hall. "Liz's room is down there, Patty is across from Liz, and my room is across from yours. If you need anything you can always ask us." Once he got a quiet affirmation, the younger Reaper continued awkwardly. "So... I'm going to go make sure Patty doesn't pick any horror movies. If you need me, come and find me. Otherwise you're free to settle in and I'll come get you when dinner is ready. Okay?"

Asura nodded once more, gripping the handle as he watched his brother walk away. He hesitated for a moment before calling out, "Kid!" and when the younger boy turned around, he smiled. "Th-thank you!" Kid returned the smile with a nod before he continued walking, and Asura pushed the door open. Slowly he stepped in, feeling along the wall for a light switch until he managed to click the lights on.

As the room lit up, Asura looked around slowly. It was much bigger than both his old room and the room he had been given in Shibusen. Immediately he knew Kid had arranged the room. There was double of everything, save the bed and the dresser at the foot of the bed that were centered against the far wall. The bed sat between two large windows with their dark, heavy curtains pulled back and two wooden side tables. Bookshelves lined the room, mostly empty save for one half filled shelf sitting beside a desk he had missed when he entered. This too was centered against the wall, directly across from the bed.

Stacked beside it were multiple boxes, and a small book was seated on the black blanket he'd had in Shibusen's guest room. A note sat on them both, so he carefully picked it up and read:

 _"Asura,_

 _These are your things. We figured it would be best to drop them off for you. I'm sorry I can't be there personally to help you settle in again, but as I'm sure you can imagine there is still much to take care of since- you know, that's not important!_

 _Anyway I trust Kid told you about the security I have around the grounds. If he somehow forgot, well, now you know! Don't be too scared if you sense someone unfamiliar, alright? I promise they won't harm you, you're safe there. :)_

 _The boxes to your left are ones from your room here in the DWMA and the ones on the right are from your old room in the manor. I haven't got through any of it, just so you know. I didn't think you would appreciate it. That includes your journal. Kid told me what it looked like so I didn't leave it behind._

 _I hope I can catch a break to come check up on you kids soon enough. Until then, relax a bit, explore the manor. Do whatever, just don't hurt yourselves too severely. :D_

 _I'm serious, relax a bit Asura. Have fun. No stressing yourself out, no trying to get back into any sort of work, nothing strenuous, that's an order. You're way overdue for a break._

 _Love,_

 _Dad._ _"_

Asura found he could only stare at the note blankly for a minute, needing it to crush the paranoia that rose up when he realized his father had had his journal. He managed to convince himself that if Death had read it he would surely be there, waiting for the opportunity to pull the younger god aside to talk about it.. With a shaky sigh Asura decided it would be best to start going through all of his belongings. It would be best to get them sorted out. Grabbing the nearest box, he opened it up and began digging through.

The minutes passed quickly and soon enough he'd had dinner with his brother and the weapon sisters, then returned to finish his task. It was while he carried a stack of books to one of the shelves that he'd felt it again. The uneasy feeling that left the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. His breath caught in his throat, eyes screwing shut as the book slipped from his hands and landed with a loud thud. Kid and the sisters' souls didn't feel close enough to here it though and that was his only relief as the realization dawned on the frightened god. He was being watched again.

Ever so slowly, he crept towards the windows and peered down at the street below. Standing just on the other side of the gate was the same stranger he had seen earlier. Their head was turned towards his open window and, to Asura's horror, they tilted their head and raised one hand to wave at him. The normally friendly gesture made his blood run cold and he stumbled back, away from the window, only to trip over his books. The Reaper curled in on himself, shivering at the thought of having someone, most likely Vajra or his creations if the friendly attitude meant anything, following him.

He laid on the floor for a while, trying his best to steady his breathing before Kid or someone else walked in on him. Once he felt okay enough to move, Asura slowly got up and crawled back to the window, trying to stay low to the ground to avoid being seen. He carefully peered over the windowsill, watching the stalker carefully as he reached to close the curtains. As if sensing his gaze, they turned to look up at him again. Asura squeaked in fear as he swiftly pulled the drapes shut and hurried to the otherwise to do the same.

Still feeling sick and scared, he ran to the shelf to pull down his journal and swiped a pen from his desk. Quickly he wrote down what had been happening to him, ending it with one simple summary, _"I think_ _I'm being followed, I don't know what to do."_

* * *

 ** _Well that's that. Here's hoping I get the next chapter out quick. I'm working on my original story more right now, but I will try to do more of this._**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey all, I have a new chapter! It's not everything I hoped for but hopefully the next one will be more fun. Thanks for the comments! They mean a lot to me.**

* * *

After they had settled back into the manor Asura had been reluctant to leave, even with Kid or the weapon sisters. Any offer of going out with them was politely declined with a quick glance out the nearest available window. The older god's reclusive nature was somewhat expected, but it still bothered Kid to see his brother shutting himself away so soon. It took everything he had to suppress a sigh as he stood outside his brother's room, raising one hand to knock on the door.

The first time he didn't get a response, so he tried again. Another moment passed and Kid was ready to knock again when he heard Asura call out a muffled, "Come in!". He hesitated briefly before he pushed it open and stepped in, letting it click shut behind him. Asura's room was dark. He had every light except the one beside his bed turned off and the heavy drapes pulled shut over the windows. Even so, Kid could clearly see that he had already filled the shelves with his belongings. They were unorganized and scattered around every available surface. It which bothered him a lot, but he tried to refrain from rushing over to fix it like he wanted to. The desktop was in a similar state, with books and papers scattered across the top.

Instead he focused on Asura, who was huddled in a pile of blankets on his bed with a book in his hands. He glanced up at Kid for a moment before closing his book and curling up tighter. When Kid didn't move, he waved the younger boy over. "...Kid... It's early. C-can I help you with something?" He asked quietly once Kid had settled on the bed.

"I was just coming to see if you want to hang out with us after class today? You... Haven't left the manor since we came back here." Kid stated, smiling as he tacked on a teasing, "Hell, you barely leave your room! You should come out with us!"

"O-oh..." Asura murmured quietly, quickly averting his eyes with a guilty look. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to bother you." It was half true, he did feel like he was intruding even though it was his home too. It just felt like it belonged to Kid and his weapons more now, and they seemed to have a routine that he didn't want to disturb. It was a bit upsetting to feel so out of place at home but he wasn't about to bother them with his own pointless feelings. They might feel guilty, and he would rather not make them feel bad for something they couldn't help.

But on the other hand, he also didn't feel safe leaving his room. Every time he passed a window that wasn't covered, he would see the stranger standing just outside their property. They weren't trespassing so he doubted that the new security would do anything about it. He wasn't even sure if they knew about it. It was safer to simply hide away from both problems in his room as far as he was concerned.

Kid offered his brother a small smile as he responded, "You aren't. We like it when you come out and spend time with us. Liz is just worried about making you panic or something. Hell, even Patty's trying not to frighten you. Normally she's all over the place." Silence settled over them for a moment as Asura stared down at his book. Hearing that did make him feel a bit guilty for hiding from them. Did they really like him being there? Were they really just trying to make sure he was comfortable? He doubted Kid would lie to him about this.

"...okay... " Taking a deep breath, Asura continued. "O-okay. I'll go with you." the moment those words left his mouth, Kid seemed to brighten. He sat up straighter, smiling broader than he did before. It made Asura happy to know his brother wanted to spend time with him that much, and he figured he could handle being outside for a little while. He would make sure he could handle it.

"That's great! I'll let the others know! I should go get ready for class, but just so you know, there's breakfast downstairs. We'll come back to get you after class!" The younger reaper stated as he stood up again. He took a couple steps towards the door before freezing mid step and snapping his fingers. "And before I forget! There will be someone new there. Maka helped the demon swordsman who was with Medusa and now they're a student at school. So they'll be there too. I thought I'd let you know now so you wouldn't be freaked out later."

With a nod, Asura said, "I... I understand. I hope it will be okay, you're sure they're safe to be around?" He already knew it wouldn't be easy to trust this person, but they weren't dead yet so Shinigami must have thought they were somewhat redeemable. Asura could only hope so, he wouldn't want to risk his or Kid's safety if their father was wrong. Kid seemed to want to believe it himself, so Asura decided it was wise to keep his doubts to himself.

Kid responded with a confident nod, placing his hands on his hips as he said, "Maka trusts them, so I will too. Besides, we've spoken some and Crona seems nice enough."

"Okay," Asura murmured. "Okay, okay, okay. I trust you." Despite how uneasy he felt at the idea, he still offered up a small smile. There was no need to tell Kid that he would keep an eye on the demon swordsman, it was only a safety precaution after all. "A-and Kid? I...I can meet you there...there is no need to come all the way back here for me... "

Kid took a moment to process that before he asked, "Are you sure? It's not a problem for us you know." He watched Asura nod slowly, his hesitance obvious about leaving on his own. "...if you're sure. Just... If you decide you don't want to go, you don't have too." The younger reaper stated, wanting to be sure his brother knew it wasn't mandatory that he show up. Once he got another small nod Kid walked up to him, carefully reaching out to hug him and only stopping when the older boy shied away.

Before Asura had the chance to apologize, Kid stepped back, "Sorry... I um..." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll see you at the park later." With a quick wave, the younger boy turned and left, letting the door click shut behind him. Once alone, Asura slumped forward and rubbed at his eyes. He was glad Kid hadn't noticed the bags forming under his from a lack of sleep, it was a good thing he hadn't turned on any more lights than the one beside him.

Asura sat in silence for a few moments, waiting until he could no longer sense Kid or his weapons near the manor before he slowly got up out of the bed. The first thing he did was peer out the window to the streets below. For the first time since he'd seen the stalker, they weren't hanging around at the edge of the property. In fact, he couldn't see them at all. That only set him more on edge though. If he couldn't see his stalker, he couldn't keep an eye on them.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Asura let the curtain fall back into place. He would try not to over think it. They could have simply changed spots today, or maybe left to avoid being caught by Kid when he left. There was no need to worry about what they were doing or where they went. Picking up his book from earlier, the god left the room.

* * *

Time passed slowly, dragging out his exploration of the manor. Sure, he had already been shown everything, but it was good to be sure he actually remembered his way around. Thankfully the floor plan hadn't seemed to change very much. It was just the new arrangement of the rooms and the new things he'd see, there was certainly more than there had been in the past.

It was easy for Asura to get lost in thought as he walked, and he was sure he would have missed his meet up with Kid and his friends if he hadn't walked by one of the many clocks as it chimed three times. It was a good thing nobody was home to see him leap away from it with a startled shriek. If there was one thing he hated about all this modern stuff, it was the all the noise everything made. He took a moment to calm down, waiting until the shaking had mostly subsided before checking the time.

Once he thought he would be fine, he went to his room. He grabbed the headband and hoodie Liz gave him and pulled a few books off the shelf to read while he was out at the park. Finally he was ready to go, halfway through opening the door before he remembered the stranger. He closed it again slowly and peered out the nearest window, eyes scanning for the tall figure. Even though the god couldn't see them he knew they had to be out there somewhere. He tried to tell himself it was nothing and opened the door.

Asura paused for a moment, holding the door wide open as he debated if he could really do it. He tried to get the thoughts of everything going wrong from his head and stepped outside. The second he did, he could feel his anxiety spike now that his stalker was watching him again. It hurt, his chest feeling tight and making it hard to breathe. He tried to relax only to find he couldn't. Instead he settled for burying his face in his scarfs and pulling up the hood of his jacket. With one last wary glance around himself, Asura slowly trudged down the path to the main road.

He himself didn't know the way to the park exactly, if he was being honest. He could still sense Kid though, and was able to find his way with little issue. In a few minutes, Asura found himself hovering around the edge of the same basketball court they had been to the other day. Kid and the others had already started a game and he felt wrong interrupting. He cast a quick glance behind him, quickly spotting his stalker farther away. Which was fine by him. If he couldn't make them go away, then he would have to settle for as much distance as possible.

Taking a seat at one of the benches and opening a book, Asura made sure to keep an eye on both his stalker and the kids in front of him. Even if he didn't think there was much he could do, he still wouldn't let anything happen to them while he was there. He was the oldest, and the strongest no doubt, it should be his responsibility to protect everyone if the stalker decided to do something.

For a while, Asura sat quietly. It didn't seem like anyone had noticed him yet. He wasn't sure how long had passed before he sensed Kid approaching him. "Asura!" He heard the younger boy call him. Looking up Asura could see him walking up to him, dressed in more casual clothes than usual. "You made it!" Kid's smile faltered and his brow furrowed as he drew closer, his whole expression changing to one of concern and confusion. One of his hands came up halfway like he wanted to reach out, only to stop and fall back. Instead he put a half hearted smile on his face and added, "I'm glad. Are... are you okay?"

Asura offered him a small smile and a nod. He didn't really know what to say to Kid so instead he kept quiet. He was so stupid, of course now Kid could see how he looked, it was much brighter outside than in his room. Now the younger boy could see the dark bags under his eyes and the paler than natural color of his skin. A moment passed before Kid spoke up again. "Come on. You have to meet Crona." Kid stated, waving to the pink-haired kid hiding behind Maka.

The older boy simply nodded, setting his book down and pulling his hoodie tighter around himself as he followed Kid. Once they were closer Maka stepped to the side so they could see Crona. Kid was the first person to speak. "Alright, so this is the person I told you about." Both Asura and Crona stood silently. As it drew on, Asura began to sink into his scarves and pinned his gaze to the ground. Crona slouched more and slowly began to inch towards Maka.

It wasn't until Kid elbowed him in the side that Asura managed to speak. "U-um... I'm A-asura... K-kid's brother..." He paused for a moment, eyeing the pink haired person cautiously. The same wary look met him. "I-it's nice to... to meet you..."

With a small nod, Crona quietly echoed his greeting. "I'm Crona... it's... it's nice to meet you too..." the two sunk into an awkward silence for a minute, simply watching the other with suspicion. It made Asura afraid he had messed up somehow. He couldn't figure out how, but it would only make sense. Sinking further into his scarves, Asura tried his best to speak again.

"W-well, I'll be over there..." Asura murmured quickly, turning to the bench with his things on it and waving in that direction. "If... If you need me, let me know..." Crona nodded slightly, a nervous smile on his face. The kids seemed nice, he decided. Very shy and unsure and maybe a little confused, but without the influence of madness they seemed like any normal kid.

That was when Ragnarok appeared, popping out of from Crona's back so suddenly that Asura had no time to suppress the startled shriek that slipped out. He jumped behind Kid immediately and crouched so he was somewhat hidden, only slightly aware of his own actions as he clutched at the younger reaper's shirt. Kid had stiffened at the sudden movement, but the only thing Asura could focus on was the constant repeat of " _what the fuck, what the fuck, **what the fuck**_ " and the part of him screaming to _"hide, hide, hide"_.

The demon sword cackled, before grinding his fists into Crona's head despite the other's protests. "Holy fuck was that _painful_ to watch! This guy might be more awkward than you!" Asura felt his face heating up in embarrassment, quickly adjusting his scarves to hide the rising blush.

Kid turned slightly, letting out an awkward laugh as he faced his brother. "Sorry about that Asura... I think I forgot to mention Ragnarok. Are you okay?" Asura nodded absentmindedly and stood up again. He really wasn't alright, his heart beating too fast, his breathing shaky, and the urge to flee still screaming at him to _"go, get away, run"_. Instead he tried his best to force his breathing to seem normal again. There was no need to worry Kid right now... But he still shot a way glance back at Ragnarok as Mama scolded the demon sword.

"I'm... fine... I'm fine. Just s-surprised. I'm. ..sorry if I worried you." He responded, voice barely above a whisper. Kid only bit his lip, a skeptical look crossing his face as he seemed to think. After a long moment, Kid nodded. "Well! I'm... I'll be over there... On the bench. .. So if...if you need me..." It took a moment to realize he was rambling,, but once he did his voice got softer and softer until he trailed off and awkwardly shuffled away.

He had barely made it back to the bench before he could sense another, thankfully familiar, presence around. But the thought of others watching him reminded him of his stalker, and he glanced around himself cautiously. Once he spotted the figure farther away, he let out a sigh of relief. It must have been because of the approaching Death Scythe, Spirit was his name. The red haired man had no hesitation as he walked straight up to Asura, drawing both Kid and Maka's attention immediately. It made the older god anxious enough to try to hide his face completely behind his scarves and pull his hoodie closer to himself.

Upon seeing Asura's obvious distress, Kid hurried over. He was glad Spirit had noticed and decided to wait to say anything. It would give him time to reach them. And Kid succeeded, immediately asking what was wrong only to get denial of anything being wrong at all and a forced smile. He couldn't help but frown at that, a part of him upset at Asura for lying to him so obviously. But instead of voicing his concerns, he watched Asura face Spirit and quietly ask, "Can... can I help you?"

Spirit nodded and said, "Yeah. Lord Death wants to see you." As soon as he said that, Asura tensed and began to fidget with his scarves.

"It's alright Asura, I'm sure he just wants to check up on you." Kid stated in the most reassuring tone he could use. "I'll be with you so it will be fine!" The older Reaper looked up at Kid, smiling a small but real smile. Slowly he nodded in agreement and stood up to gather his books.

Spirit interrupted them though, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry Kid, your father asked to speak to Asura alone. You should stay here. " Kid immediately tried to protest, only to be shot down. "You should stay here anyway. Spend some time with Crona and Make before they go on their trial mission tomorrow. I don't know what Death wants to talk about, but if it's important, I'm sure you'll find out." The brother's exchanged helpless looks for a brief moment, Asura obviously not wanting to go alone and Kid stuck between staying with his friends or going with his brother.

It dawned on Asura that he would be making Kid choose between him and his friends. It was quickly becoming apparent that Kid's anxiety was starting to affect him again. The younger boy repeatedly straitening his pristine clothes, eyes looking everywhere but at Asura or Spirit. "S-stay here." Asura squeaked out quietly. Kid's head snapped up to look at him so fast that Asura thought he may have hurt himself. The look of shock was a bit off putting, did Kid think he would demand the younger boy come along? Quickly Asura added, "You should spend time with your friends before they have to leave. I promise I'll let you know what father wanted when I get home."

"Okay..." Kid said slowly, brow furrowed and a frown on his face as he slowly stepped back. "I'll be sure to ask so you don't forget." Asura nodded, he could accept that. He raised a hand slowly to wave and was shocked to see not just Kid, but the others return it as well. With a small smile, he gathered his books and started toward the castle.

As he left the area, he checked around him for his stalker. For a heart-stopping moment they hovered around the park, gaze fixed on the same place that Kid and the others were probably playing. As soon as he saw them start after him though, relief mixed with the usual terror.

* * *

Asura hesitated outside of the Death room. Kid had said it was probably nothing, but he still felt the anxiety welling up inside. What if something was wrong? What if Death decided he was not worth the risk of protecting? What if Death had found out about his stalker? Surely he would be in trouble for not telling his father about that?

Even if Death didn't know, should he tell him? Maybe Death could do something about it... Or maybe he wouldn't believe him. Maybe Death wouldn't believe him though, and he would think Asura was being paranoid. He may even think that it was because of the madness. The last thing Asura wanted was for Death to think he might become a kishin again.

He wasn't sure he could do this anymore. Talking to his father seemed far too frightening when he considered everything that could happen. Would Death buy it if he feigned illness? ...Probably not, and even if he tried, he may be in trouble for lying to avoid Death. Maybe he could just run. Come up with an excuse later.

Before he had the chance to decide, the door to the Death Room opened. Death smiled at Asura , ignoring the horrified look on his son's face. He could always ask the younger god later what he was thinking about that had him looking so spooked. Stepping to the side enough for Asura to walk past, Death said, "Are you going to come in or just stand there?" It took a few more seconds for Asura to respond, but once he realized he was the one being addressed he ducked his head and hurried past.

Death watched him for a moment before following after him, confused by how jumpy the younger god was. He seemed more anxious than usual and Death couldn't help but wonder what had happened to cause it. Maybe he'd be able to pry the reason from Asura during their talk. "Go ahead and sit Asura." Death said, waving at the couch he had summoned before Asura's arrival. Asura sat down on the edge of the couch, hands gripping the cushion hard enough to turn his knuckles white. That was definitely a little concerning.

"Asura, is something wrong? You're awfully tense." The older god asked as he took a seat beside his son. His only response was a hesitant nod, which Death thought didn't seem genuine.

"...fine. I'm fine." The younger reaper stated, putting on the most convincing smile he could muster. He quickly realized that Death didn't seem to buy it and looked anywhere else as he added, "Your... Your weapon... Spirit I mean... He said you wanted to see me? Or talk to me?"

Death nodded, "Yes, I did. First I wanted to ask how you were doing. Kid told me you hadn't been leaving your room much. He sounded pretty worried when he told me. Is everything alright?" He watched Asura's expression shift to a guilty one as the younger reaper focused on one ground in front of him.

It took him a while to answer, but once he did he said, "I'm sorry... I didn't want to get in their way."

"What do you mean?" Death prodded, confused by the statement. Asura hesitated though, choosing to stay silent as he began picking at his clothes. He knew Asura was never one to talk openly about anything really, but especially not about his own feelings or emotions. "Asura?"

"I just... I don't want to bother them. Kid I mean. And Liz. And Patty." The younger reaper stated, voice just barely above a whisper as he added, "I didn't mean to make Kid worry. I just thought he would get tired of being around me like..." There was a pause as Asura seemed to think, eyes flickering to his father for a brief moment before falling back to the floor. Death found himself wondering who Asura had been about to name before he paused, but shook his head as Asura tacked on a quiet, "I'm sorry."

"You should talk to Kid about that then. He would understand." He said, watching Asura tense at the suggestion. He waited a moment for Asura to respond, but when he didn't, Death continued. "Kid also mentioned that he thinks you've been having nightmares. Said he wakes up in the middle of the night for no reason sometimes and he can sense your fear. You don't answer when he calls you or knocks." He watched Asura's expression change to a guilty but horrified one and couldn't help but feel a bit of guilt himself.

But still, Death had been worried when Kid came to him with his concerns. He suspected that Kid's sudden restlessness was linked to his worry for Asura. Kid may even be more attentive to changes in Asura because of their status as fragments of his own soul. It wouldn't be good for either of them if this kept up. Kid had certainly been more tired lately and Asura... Asura wasn't looking too good himself. Asura was too pale and thin, and the bags under his eyes were a clear sign of his lack of proper sleep.

"That's not new father." Asura spoke with a tone of finality, making it clear he wasn't planning on talking about his nightmares at all. "I will apologize for keeping Kid up though. I hope it doesn't happen again. Now, what else was there to talk about?"

"Right, well..." Death hesitated, part of him not liking Asura's dismissal of his and Kid's concerns and part of him knowing better than to press for more information. "It's about Vajra." He resisted the urge to flinch as Asura spun to face him so fast that Death worried he had given himself whiplash. Asura's red eyes were wide in shock and his mouth hung open just a bit.

It took him a moment to find his voice, but finally he managed a shaky, "W-wha... What about v-vajra...?" Had Death found out about his stalker? Was it really Vajra following him around? He wasn't sure he could handle finding out, the anxiety setting in and forming a tight ball in his chest. Death gently set a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch at the touch.

"It's alright. We still don't know where he is, and I'm sorry we haven't finished this yet. But we might need your help soon." Death stated in the most calm and even tone he could. He waited for a moment for Asura to respond with a shaky nod before he continued. "There are some precautions we need to take and some things we need to keep out of Vajra's hands. I am not sure if he will really go after them or not, but he most likely knows they're out there by now."

"I... I see... But why do you need me?" Asura asked quietly.

"Because you are by far our strongest person. And as frightened of Vajra as you are now, you still are leagues ahead of him in raw power. You'll be fine if you come to a fight." As soon as he noticed Asura's terrified expression, he quickly added, "I doubt it will come to that, but just as a precaution, I would like you to go and help once we start things."

Asura hardly looked convinced, but he still nodded. "I suppose it's better than having nothing to do... Just... Please let me know ahead of time if possible?" He received a nod from the older god.

"Of course. In fact, there might've something soon. We're just getting things ready. Would you like me to tell you?" Asura nodded slowly, earning a smile from Death that made him strangely happy. In fact, Death seemed ecstatic to tell him, so he figured he could wait to mention his stalker for a little while longer. They weren't doing anything anyway.

...

It was dark by the time Asura arrived home, scanning the area around the manor to be sure he wasn't followed further than the road at the edge of the manor. Once he was certain he was safe, he let the door click shut behind him and started towards the stairs. He made it about halfway up them before he hears Kid calling him. "Asura! You're home!" the younger boy exclaimed as he approached. "We just had dinner, but we left you a plate. Do you want to grab it and come watch a movie with us?"

Asura thought for a moment before nodding. "I'm going to put my books away first. I'll be down in a few minutes," he stated, watching Kid's face light up. "What movie is it?"

"Those supernatural comics you like have a movie adaption that Liz found. I told her you might like it so we've been waiting for you to come home." Kid responded, rambling just a bit towards the end and adding a teasing, "Hurry up though, Patty's getting a bit restless." Asura returned the smile Kid sent his way and nodded again, watching his brother as he left the room again. At least he could try to enjoy these little things before they had to worry about more pressing issues.


	18. Chapter 18

**I am attempting to move things along. Sorry if this one's not so great though. I'm a hit iffy on it.**

* * *

"Your friends went where again?" Asura asked suddenly from the corner of the couch he curled up in earlier. He peered over his book at the younger reaper, watching quietly for a moment as he worked on his homework at the coffee table. Kid switched between two separate parts of the sheet, mumbling quietly to himself. It was obviously annoying to him, but as Liz and Patty had pointed out the other day he had done less passing out over writing and tearing his papers lately. That was probably why he kept doing it.

"Kid." Liz said, nudging him gently with her foot. Once Kid looked at her, she nodded over to Asura and he repeated himself. He knew where, and Kid knew he knew too, but still he felt the need to clarify for the hundredth time.

"They went to Loew Village in the Czech Republic." Kid stated, watching the partial recognition flash in Asura's red eyes again. He hadn't wanted to push his luck and interrogate the other reaper, but his curiosity was finally starting to get to him. "Asura, do you know of Loew Village? Have you been there before?"

For a moment Asura didn't respond, a thoughtful look on his face as he flipped back to the index of his book. Finally he sighed and threw it aside. "I can't seem to find anything on it... But it sounds familiar to me. I believe I may have been there once before on a mission. I have been to a lot of places though, it's not always easy to keep track of them all."

"You would have to care enough to remember them, but you hardly care enough to remember what time of day it is." Kid responded, turning back to his homework. Before he could pick up his pencil again, something soft hit him in the back and he had to brace himself against the table. Asura was carefully avoiding eye contact with him when he spun around to glare at his brother. "Are you serious right now?" He could hear Liz snicker and Patty giggle across the table, but kept his eyes focused on Asura.

It took a moment, but Asura finally met his eyes and gave a cheeky grin. "Am I serious about what?" Grabbing the pillow, Kid raised it up and pointed to it. "Oh. In that case yes. I am seriously certain that that is a pillow."

With a frustrated growl, Kid threw it under the table. "Just so you know, I'm confiscating it."

"Suit yourself brother, I have a whole sofa full of them." Asura said with a wave of his arms. Kid scoffed and finally returned to his homework, leaving Asura to stare blankly at the ceiling for a few minutes. He could feel the anxiety slowly working it's way in as the silence set in again.

He was lying. Of course he remembered Loew Village. He and Vajra had gone there before and Vajra had been fascinated by their golems. In fact, he was partly convinced that Vajra's stone soldiers were made with the golems in mind if not based on them. Those cold and lifeless things with their static voices and heavy, dragging footsteps were a constant in his nightmares. They'd have him surrounded, hold him down, or wouldn't hesitate to hurt him if he was caught escaping. No matter how many he destroyed in his frantic escape attempts, there were others to take their places. They seemed endless.

Slowly Asura sat up, taking a moment to calm himself before he panicked too much. He had to remind himself to breathe steadily so that he would not worry the others near him. _'You're not there. You're not. You're home, you're with your brother and your father and you're safe.'_ He had to remind himself, shoving back the other thoughts of, _'you're not safe, you're being followed,'_ that tried to push their way to the front of his mind.

He needed to do something. Preferably something worthwhile, like maybe researching the golems of Loew Village. Surely if Vajra had based his soldiers off of them, then it might be possible for him to find something to make handling them easier. There didn't seem to be anything useful in the manor, but maybe Death would have something in the library at Shibusen? Jumping to his feet, Asura announced, "I need to go up to your school. I'll be back later."

Asura could hear Kid scramble to his feet, calling after him. "Wait, Asura! What are you going up there for?" The sudden decision had him a bit concerned after those few moment where he could feel Asura's anxiety spike. He felt that he needed to get an answer from him.

"Oh...the library should have something about Loew Village, right?" Asura asked, pausing briefly before rushing to give his answers. Kid couldn't help but feel a bit skeptical of the answer, but there didn't seem to be any reason to stop him. So instead he nodded.

"Yeah... they should have something." Kid told him, quickly adding on, "Will you be back for dinner?" Asura nodded quickly, flipping his hood up over his head and readjusting his headband.

Asura took a step back towards the door, "Yes, I will even try to be back before then," Asura promised in his most reassuring tone. He waited a moment for Kid to nod before he headed for the door. For a moment he hesitated, remembering what was waiting for him outside, but he told himself it would be fine. Nothing had happened so far, so surely he would be fine. It was important he do this research, if he could find anything to help him stop Vajra's stone soldiers he would consider it a success.

Taking a deep breath he threw the door open and stepped out, calling a quick goodbye to the others as he left. He adjusted his hood and scarf to better hide his face as he walked and did his best to ignore the familiar feel of eyes and the sound of footsteps a few feet behind him.

...

Shibusen's library was bigger than Asura remembered it being and Asura couldn't help but frown at the thought of having to search through it. The shelves towered high above him and stretched in rows farther than he could see. It was not going to be much fun searching for the books he needed to get in this place. But at least he could search without an interruption or the feeling of eyes boring into his back the whole time. He wasn't sure where to start looking for books on Loew Village, let alone the golems.

There had to be somebody to ask. Some employees wandering about... Didn't Kid say there was usually someone watching the checkout desk? The latter would be preferable since he wouldn't have to go searching for a random employee among the shelves. He nodded slowly to himself and turned began to head that way. It wasn't until he had almost reached it that he froze.

How was he supposed to ask them for help? Asura knew he could barely speak to Kid's friends without his brother there to help ground him if he was nervous. How could he ask a complete stranger for help with this? The last thing he wanted to do was panic and completely clam up, or turn into a stuttering mess, or change his mind and run away in the middle of his question! All of which were perfectly reasonable to assume would happen should he try. No, he would rather search aimlessly than make a fool of himself.

And that was how he had found himself browsing through the many shelves. As relaxing as the quiet and the smell of old paper was for him, he couldn't help the growing disappointment as time went on and he still hadn't found the books on Loew Village or it's golems. On the bright side, there had been many other books that had caught his eye, meaning he would have to make a day of coming out here to read as many as he can. But first things first, finding those books and seeing if there was anything that could help disable or destroy Vajra's soldiers was a top priority.

He hadn't realized how focused he was on his search until he heard someone call his name. The sudden sound made him feel like jumping out of his skin and the scream that caught in his throat came of as more of a squeak. He spun to face the person, recognizing the feeling of madness before the white hair and stitched coat.

"Still so jumpy hmm? I tried to be loud enough that you would hear me." The man drawled, eyeing the reaper with curiosity. Asura shifted slightly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the other man watching him.

"S-sorry Professor..." he mumble quietly into his scarf.

"Stein."

"What?"

"You can just call me Stein. We'll most likely be working together in the future after all." Stein stated, pausing for a moment as he decided what to say next. "You don't look too good Asura. Have your wounds been giving you problems?"

Asura shook his head quickly, "No... They've mostly healed. My neck is still a bit... sore, but it's not bad. It should be fine in the next few days." He was quick to dismiss the question, trying to be reassuring. It wasn't a lie at least. Most of his wounds were healed like he said, but the ring around his neck seemed to be giving him the most problems healing wise. He could only guess why that was.

There was a thoughtful look on the professor's face as he registered what he had been told. "I see, were there any other problems?" Again, Asura shook his head. Stein couldn't help but be skeptical though. He had heard from Shinigami about the older god's concerns for Asura's health. He had been right to worry it seemed. Asura looked paler than usual and had dark bags under his eyes, but that was the most he could see with how much Asura tried to bury himself in his clothes. "If you say so. Just remember that if you are hurt or anything else is wrong with you, you can tell me. It's my job to look after your health."

Asura nodded, slowly letting himself relax a bit. The two stood silently for another minute before Stein spoke up again. "Did you need help finding something here?"

"Yes... Um, I need to know about Loew Village and... If there are any books about the golems they make there that would be even better." Asura murmured, tacking on a quick, "Do you know where they are?" Stein nodded, waving for Asura to follow as he walked past him. Asura nodded, trailing after the professor as he led the way. Once they reached the right shelves, Stein slowly began looking them over and pulled a few off the shelf.

They were handed to Asura as he went until Stein seemed to be done. "Okay, so that looks like everything that would have something about the golems of Loew Village. I hope you weren't looking to make one though, that's something you would have to learn from Loew Village."

Asura frowned at that but didn't complain, he could vaguely remember Vajra's disappointment when he couldn't learn to make them himself. He couldn't make them himself so he made his own based on what he knew of them. Disgust welled up in his chest as a thought crossed his mind, _"What if Vajra had already planned to kidnap him by then? What if that was why he was so interested in the golems?"_ Asura could only hope that wasn't the case, it would mean Vajra had planned everything long before he had actually acted. It made him sick to think he was probably being tricked for so long, especially since it had been such a sudden change to him.

Stein watched as Asura's expression changed from disgusted to nauseous, the curious part of him wondering what could be going through the reaper's head. After a second of waiting, Asura shook his head. "S-sorry," he muttered quieter than he had been before, "I... I'll leave you alone now." he took a step back, then another, before he finally turned tail and ran around the corner. Stein stared after the god, letting out a quiet sigh before turning to pull another book off the shelf.

...

Asura sat as close to Stein as he could on the other side of the bookshelf. The man hadn't left so Asura could only assume he had his own research to do on Loew Village. He had some hopes that he could find out something by listening to Stein in case he mentioned something. Sure he could probably ask to know, but there was no guarantee that he would be told. Especially with how everyone seemed to dance around certain subjects such as what was exactly they had planned or what they had learned about Vajra's whereabouts. It seemed like he would have to resort to tricks from eight hundred years ago and find out on his own what was going on.

For that reason, he had learned to listen in while others spoke. Thankfully he didn't wait long. "Why would a soulless golem be affected by the madness wavelength? Something's fishy," Stein said to himself. It seemed he hadn't realized he was being listened to and Asura hoped it would stay that way. "Did something happen there eight hundred years ago? The birth of a demon weapon...or something else?"

His first thought was of his own trip to Loew Village. There had been a rise in Kishin activity that he and Vajra had been sent to take care of, nothing too difficult for them. But Vajra had adored the golems he'd seen, had wanted to know how they worked, how to make one. He was disappointed when they refused to share that with him. For a moment there was even a flash of anger in his eyes that unsettled the man he spoke with. It had unnerved him somewhat to see Vajra get worked up over something so simple. He was usually more calm than to get angry over being told he couldn't do something.

"It wouldn't be surprising if "the Heretic's" soul responded to the madness wavelength." Asura's head snapped up and he had to remind himself not to make any sound no matter how much he wanted to ask Stein what he meant. He waited for a few more minutes, listening to the flipping of pages while Stein skimmed through the book he'd picked up. Asura began to scan his own, stopping at any mentions of the golems he could find in them.

For a while, he and Stein seemed to have the same problem finding information. Stein's stack of books continued to grow even after Asura had finished his with no luck and a crushing feeling of disappointment. The only reason he had stayed was because he wanted to know if Stein would find what he wanted. Finally he heard the man speak up again. "This incident..." a pause hung in the air as he continued to read. "A mass illusion incident in the country surrounding the Czech Republic? Hmm... Several eyewitness accounts of around 500,000 people reported finding a black mass of about five centimeters on them. It says they covered the streets as far as the eye could see, walking along as if they were just passing by."

Quietly, Asura slowly shut his book and leaned against the shelf behind him while Stein continued. "Eventually that object became clear... The mass of people seeing the same illusion, the curtain came down on the incident. And there were other places with many eyewitnesses..." There was a moment of incoherent muttering, the shuffling of feet, and a rustle of paper. "And at the center was Loew Village!"

None of this sounded familiar to Asura and he could only assume it had taken place sometime after his...disappearance. Taking a deep breath, he tried not to think about that, focusing instead on Stein again and waiting for him to continue. "The mass of people all said the same thing. ' _It looked like a spider'."_ He heard Stein say. That was all Asura needed to hear to know what was going on. If Arachne really was alive and possibly back, then they would have a new enemy to deal with. And there was no telling how Vajra would react when he learned of Arachne's continued existence.

Asura stood as quickly and quietly as he could, gathering his books and slowly creeping back towards the shelf to put them away. He had just turned to leave when he heard Stein speak up behind him. "Oh. You're still here?"

"Uh... Y-yeah..." Asura shifted nervously and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Sorry. I just finished reading." He murmured quietly. If Stein found it odd that Asura refused to look at him then he at least didn't say anything. He was grateful for that.

"Any luck? I must admit I'm curious about why you would be interested in the golems of Loew Village." Stein stated, eyeing him curiously for a moment. Asura only shook his head in response. "A shame. Better luck next time."

"Right... I should probably go now. I don't know how late it is and I was supposed to be home for dinner." Asura stated, slowly backing away until he was near the shelves. Once he was around the corner, he ran for the exit. By the time he made it outside and realized how dark it was, he kept hopine he wasn't late for dinner. Kid would be disappointed if he wasn't.

* * *

Far away, Arachne received a warm welcome as she approached her castle. The hoards of people cheering her name. She had no interest in their celebration though, only focused on getting back inside. Once she was away from the noise, she turned to her butler who had followed her the whole way. "So the Kishin has revived?"

"Yes Lady Arachne. Though his whereabouts are still unknown." Came the old man's quick response. She nodded, smiling slightly to herself as he continued. "His meister has survived as well and is currently under Shinigami's protection."

"I'm aware of that. My spiders had seen him long ago after all. Such a sorry state for a god to be in, but it works in our favor to have the strongest coward so weak. The brat's destructive power was was always a pain to deal with in the past." Arachne said, a frown marring her features as she recalled the losses brought on by Death's oldest son. Bloodied bodies and buildings razed to the ground, ages of research lost in mere seconds, it was infuriating to deal with. The only thing that they were more worried about than Asura was either Asura with his weapon or Death himself. Now Asura no longer had his weapon and was weak compared to his old self, and Death was unable to move from his city.

"I think things are going in our favor now. All I need to do is pay our dearest Kishin a visit. If he's on our side, we would be unstoppable." She mused more to herself than the old man beside her.

Mosquito frowned at the idea but said nothing in opposition. Instead he asked, "Do you really believe he would join us? Last I recall he was never very happy to see you on a battlefield. He seemed to hold a grudge over being made into a demon weapon after all." The woman froze for a moment, eyes darkened as she considered this.

As far as Arachne was concerned, he should be grateful. She made him into something new and because of her, he had found the technician he'd been so attached to. But humans were petty things, there was no doubt he would have held a grudge. "That's fine, we just need to use the right leverage. Say... That meister of his? While we may not be able to get Asura, we can offer our assistance."

"Not that it matters too much. We'll get the Kishin one way or another."

...

"Rachit, is Aakanksh back yet?" The Kishin asked the stone soldier behind him. He shifted the smaller stone figure up against the wall as he spoke, not even sparring it a glance. It's voice crackled as it answered him.

"Aakanksh has returned, shall I send someone else in his place?" Vajra shook his head, carefully carving out the last line of the rune to activate the smaller figure. The symbols glowed a pale blue before the light faded away. Stone scraped against stone as it began to move, testing it's joints before carefully pulling itself up and stumbling about. The slender figure steadied itself against the wall, it's faceless head glancing around until it spotted a small group of near identical figures approaching it.

Vajra watched as his other creations herded their last member away with them to work on repairing the rest of the stone soldiers who he hadn't gotten to. Finally he turned to face Rachit, "There's no need. Adah and the others are fixed so they can take over repairing your soldiers. It's in their programming so it should be relatively quick. Once they're done, they should start getting you new men as well." He paused for only a moment before adding in a lighter tone, "That means I'm free to do as I please now, so I think I should pay my dear meister a visit."

"Of course Lord Vajra." Rachit responded, trailing after the Kishin as he strolled out of the room. "There is other news as well."

There was silence before Vajra realized the stone being was waiting for him to ask about it. That thought struck him as odd since he couldn't think of any other time it had happened. He simply shrugged off his worry and turned to face Rachit. "Well? What is it?"

Almost immediately came the robotic response, "The Heretic, witch Arachne Gorgon, has revived." The announcement left a cold, unrecognizable feeling in the Kishin's gut. Bits of memories flashed across his mind at the name of the witch. Arachne... She was little more than a cold cell, darkness, the sound of people screaming and crying. That name was a cursed thing, and he hated it because she was always bloodied ground and deafening silence and seemingly endless pain, pain, pain.

But it did end, and then there were others, strangers. He had nothing to lose so he went with them when they asked. Was he the last alive? He didn't know. Didn't care or maybe couldn't. He knew not to trust these strangers though, it seemed too convenient that they had shown up when they did. But he was free and they humored his questions until they reached their base.

The next clear thing in his memories was always those pretty yet frightened red eyes and the name _"Asura"_. Asura, a kid his age who didn't even seem to trust his own father completely. Vajra wondered if he could gain is trust He wondered briefly if he could ever be the only one to have Asura's trust...No, he had desired it but hadn't realized it then. If he had that then he would be more than just a tool for the witch to use.

"Lord Vajra."

The crackling voice caught his attention, Rachit would certainly be eyeing him curiously if he had a proper head and face. "I see... I suppose that's more of a reason to go and see Asura myself for once! I haven't since that first day they let him outside. I have to see for myself that the witch hasn't harmed him." Rachit said nothing in response, most likely not wanting to sour Vajra's mood again. It left the Kishin time to think his approach through. All Vajra knew for sure was that he had to make sure Asura knew he was the only trustworthy person. If Asura could be fed even a small bit of doubt for those he's met then Vajra could break what ever trust he thinks he has for them. He was the only one who cared for Asura's well-being. Surely some part of Asura knew that still.


	19. Chapter 19

**This is longer than my usual chapters so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

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"Asura! Are you alright?!" The startled exclamation came from Kid's bedridden friend after she greeted the younger reaper. The ashy blonde stared at him with all too familiar concern as he walked through the door and cast a wary glance at the doctor int the room. He knew he'd been getting less sleep since he'd gotten confirmation of Arachne's return, but surely it wasn't that bad right? Her partner turned to him for a moment with the spoon in his hand still hovering in front of his meister's face. It would have been comical had she not asked him what was probably now his least favorite question.

He was quick to wave a hand dismissively, and readjust his hood and scarves. "Yes... I just didn't sleep much last night. I've... I've been thinking over a lot." It was true on both parts, his sleep was always restless and he had quiet a bit on his mind. In particular were thoughts of Arachne and everything he knew of her. The first to come to mind was always the countless lives she took to create demon weapons.

Then he would think of Vajra, his own partner who's calm demeanor would snap the second the witch was in his sights. Vajra, who spent many nights awake with him, both too afraid to sleep in fear of what their dreams would show them. He would think of the nights Vajra would rest, and how he had made a habit of staying in his room, not too sure what to do if his partner had a nightmare and not quite willing to leave. Things would spiral from there. After working together for so long the Asura had the habit of worrying about the other man, even despite what he had done. Vajra would not like learning about Arachne's continued survival, Asura was sure of that.

And his suspicion of Vajra being the one to follow him had only increased since the stalker had seemingly vanished, taking with them the unnerving feeling of being watched. He'd thought he would be glad to be free from their constant watch, but no. With them gone, his anxiety had only spiked. He had no idea what they might be up to or if their disappearance meant something bad was going to happen. All Asura knew was that they had left too soon to Arachne's revival for comfort, and that certainly couldn't mean anything good.

Asura realized he must have looked as uncomfortable as he felt when Maka spoke up again. "Are you sure?" He only nodded this time, not trusting himself to actually answer her. Instead he glanced around the room at everyone gathered there, slowly twisting the hem of his shirt in his hands. Soul had set down the food he was trying to feed Maka, giving up on getting her to eat it in front of everyone and casting a concerned glance Asura's way.

"Yes. Besides I should be the one asking you if you're alright." He responded after a moment, watching as a the girl pouted at his lack of an honest answer. Still, he didn't feel the need to share his worries with them. Surviving an encounter with Arachne and her lackey was more than enough for the girl and her partner to worry about at the moment. He got a curious look from Maka, so he quickly elaborated, "I-I mean... Well, you... You are bedridden after... after an encounter with Arachne. Are... Are you alright? Besides being unable to move I mean."

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Professor Stein says the spell should wear off in a few days so until then I'm stuck like this. But at least I can move my hand a bit!" As if on cue, Soul grabbed one of her hands and motioned to the girl with it. Maka's eyes narrowed and she let out a quiet growl, "You are so lucky I can't move right now! If I had my book I'd-"

Soul snickered, a smug grin on his face as he teased her, "If you had it, which you don't, you still couldn't hit me." To illustrate his point, Soul reached out and picked up Maka's hand again, waving it around so that it flopped uselessly in front of everyone. Tsubaki tried to chastise the boy but her quiet scolding got drowned out by Soul's laughter. It wasn't until the new doctor came over and told him to stop that he finally set her hand down.

The woman turned to him then, the bandages around her face making it harder to read her expression. "I'm Mira Nygus. You're Asura, right?" At being addressed directly, Asura shied away from the woman, doing his best to hide himself in his jacket and scarves as he nodded in response. She didn't seem phased at all as she spoke again, "Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you. If you need anything while you're here, don't hesitate to ask." And with that she turned to the nearby desk, either not noticing or not caring about the cautious look Asura shot at her.

"Anyway, once you're better Maka, we should have a party at our house!" Liz said, as she leaned over the younger girl. "it'll be great!"

Kid turned to look over his shoulder then, chiming in with a, "That sounds fun! I'll get the executive secretary to set up a perfect party." Almost immediately everyone's expression changed.

"Ehhh? Seriously Kid?" Came the response from both Liz and Patty as well as Maka.

"What's wrong with that?" Kid asked, sounding somewhat offended by the reaction.

"You're just too picky Kid. You always gripe if we don't make sure to put cups on coasters because it might leave a stain." Liz stated, glancing at Asura as if asking for help.

Kid followed he gaze, locking eyes with his brother who had been quietly hovering around the outskirts of the room. "Asura agrees with me! Don't you Asura? My parties aren't that bad," Kid shouted, apologizing quickly when Asura flinched away from him. "Sorry, but I'm right, aren't I?"

"um... I actually dislike parties. Th-the crowds and the noise are just too much..." He muttered just loud enough for them to hear him. He glanced up for a moment to see a look of disbelief on everyone's face, save Crona. The pink haired meister actually looked relived and Asura could only assume they felt the same way he did. Still, he felt anxiety rise under the stares of everyone else, so he quickly added, "Besides, parties were more of... more of... of _his_ thing..."

A look of understanding slowly crossed everyone's face as they caught on to what he meant and Asura chose to focus back on the ground again. Everything was quiet for a moment before Maka asked Kid, "By the way, what have you been rummaging around over there for this whole time?"

Kid stepped to the side, and gestured to the cabinet in front of him. "Oh no! I'm just rearranging the contents to be perfectly symmetrical from Maka's point of view! You like it right? Even more so since you can't really move," he explained, reaching out to pick up a bottle from the shelf before turning to face Nygus. "Do we have another one of these medicine bottles? It would really improve the balance."

Nygus took a moment to look it over before nodding, "Yes, there should be more in the medical supplies storage room. Shall I bring you one?"

Kid shook his head at that as he began walking, "No! I don't want to trouble you, I can get it myself." Nygus made an attempt to stop him but Kid was already gone before she could do anything.

"Wait! That room's in awful disorder!" Nygus' warning went unheard and a moment later they could hear Kid shout, calling in Liz and Patty to help him. Asura watched as the two tried to figure out whether or not to go to Kid.

Black Star kicked in the door then, waving a marker around as he yelled, "Found one!" His sudden entrance startled the older reaper, earning a frightened shriek from him. With one last glance around the room, Asura began to skirt around the group towards the room where Kid was, knowing that it was getting too crowded and loud for his anxiety to handle.

When he heard the door click shut behind him, Kid spun around. He looked shocked to see Asura standing there and for a moment neither moved, then Kid smiled. "Asura! You're here! Liz and Patty ran off, didn't they?" For a moment Kid's smile faltered, but he shook his head and walked off to one of the shelves. "Honestly, they just don't understand the true meaning of orderliness, you know? But at least you're here, can you help me?"

"Um...yes. What do you need from me?" Asura hesitated for a moment before giving in. It would kill time until the infirmary cleared enough for him to leave. Immediately Kid began rattling off instructions, making sure Asura had something to do. Once they started working, silence fell over them both, only broken by Kid correcting him. Eventually Asura found his mind wandering back to the past few days. He hasn't seen his stalker for a couple days at least. He could only feel more anxious at their sudden disappearance. Taking a deep breath, Asura spoke up again, "Kid...um, I-I need to. ..um, do you..."

Across the room, Kid stopped straightening the medicine on the shelf and turned around with a curious expression. "Do I what?" He asked, watching Asura struggle for a moment to find the words. When the older reaper didn't reply, Kid walked over to him and carefully set a hand on his arm. "Does this have to do with why you haven't been sleeping? Did something happen? You know you can tell me."

Asura let out a shaky breath as he tried to speak, stumbling over his words. "I just... It's... It feels like something bad is going to happen..." he managed to say. At Kid's urging, he continued trying to explain what was he meant. "Just, Arachne's revival is bad enough alone, but Vajra is back too and I just! I don't know what to do! If Vajra finds out about Arachne I don't know what he might do. He hates her, he could never think clearly when she was our opponent. But Vajra told me he would do anything t-to... To keep me safe..." The older reaper's rambling slowed until it trailed off completely.

A moment of silence passed as Asura leaned against the shelf behind him and sank to to floor. Kid shuffled awkwardly where he stood as he watched Asura put his head in his hands. "I can't predict what Vajra will do any more. I have no idea what he'll do if he thinks it will help him. What if he thinks attacking Arachne and her followers is a good idea? What if he gets captured? If Arachne gets a hold of Vajra, we are as good as dead. And..." He paused then, the words hanging on the tip of his tongue but refusing to come out and earning a curious expression from Kid.

When he didn't continue, Kid cautiously prodded. "...And?" Asura bit his lip and glanced up at Kid for a brief second before focusing on the ground again. He couldn't tell Kid that a part of him worried about Vajra's safety. What if Kid thought he was a traitor? It was an awful thing sometimes, after what Vajra had done to him he still cared about him. Why? It didn't make sense. Vajra was gone, leaving the Kishin in his place. So why did he still care if he was hurt or killed?

Letting out a shaky breath, Asura shook his head. "Nothing... It's...it's nothing..." Kid looked ready to argue with him, but he didn't. Maybe it was something in his expression or maybe Kid sensed the distress that must have been rolling off of him in waves, but Asura was glad he wasn't being interrogated for answers. Kid just gave a slow nod and offered him a hand that Asura took, letting his brother pull him to his feet. It wasn't until Kid had returned to his work that another thought occurred to him. _There's no way to know what he'll do to Kid. No way to know how close he'll try to get to Kid. He'd do anything to get to you._ Vajra was already too close to Kid for comfort, even if it was only because he was the one following Asura. The older god shuddered at the thought, but wasn't able to voice any of those worries. His stalker was gone. Had been gone for a few days. It was okay, he was okay, Kid would be okay.

A quiet cough caught his attention and Kid stood there with an uneasy look on his face, like he was unsure how to ask whatever he wanted. Finally Kid looked at him, concern clear in his face. "um... Asura, are you... Are you sure you're okay?" Kid started, shuffling nervously. A part of him hated how difficult it was to ask such a simple question, but he wasn't too sure how to. Asura looked... Bad. Clearly he had been worrying about what he said since he learned of Arachne's revival. And the moment he mentioned Vajra what little color he had drained from his face. Asura hadn't seemed to realize he'd had a wide-eyed expression of horror the whole time he spoke about it. There was something else too, something Kid couldn't place. "I mean, you just look really pale. More than usual. And maybe a little like you're going to be sick. If you want to, I don't know, lie down? I'm sure Miss Nygus wouldn't mind letting you use a bed."

Asura shook his head immediately, "I...I'm fine... I just... What do you need me to do now?" There was a moment of silence where Kid hesitated, deciding whether or not to push Asura to rest or let him keep helping. A moment later he beckoned the older boy over to help him.

"You can help over here if you like, but if you still look...you know... in a little while, you have to lie down okay? In about, an hour or two?" Kid bargained, waving one hand at Asura and ignoring how he flinched back. He didn't like it, but when Asura nodded in agreement, he decided to take it. No reason to pressure him to do something he doesn't want to.

* * *

It was much darker outside than he had expected it to be after he stepped out of the school. The moon hung high in the sky with blood dripping from it's mouth and the sky was speckled with stars. Despite the dark, the city lights provided some comfort. Something in the back of his mind whispered that they seemed dimmer tonight than some of the other nights he'd found himself up late. It was unnerving, especially since he was alone. Kid had left as soon as they finished rearranging the medical supply room and Asura had drifted to the school's library. That was probably why he lost track of time.

He knew he should leave, get home to Kid, but a feeling of unease crept up on him. It settled over him, weigh him down and keeping him pinned to the spot. Asura assumed it was probably paranoia, an unease brought on by unwanted thoughts he couldn't stop. Of his stalker returning, of a pre-kishin or witch attack, anything that could go wrong. His thoughts didn't stop until a hand settled on his shoulder earning a startled shriek from him. He spun around, only to meet concerned orange eyes. Death stood beside him and carefully removed his hand. "Asura, it's late. Well past midnight to be precise. What are you still doing here? Is everything alright?"

Asura only shrugged Death's hand off and wrapped his arms tightly around himself. "I'm... I'm alright. I was just leaving." For a moment he didn't move, unsure of what to do. Then he spoke up quietly. "Are... Are you coming home tonight?" When Death shook his head, Asura could only nod in acceptance. "Okay... I should...I should get home. Kid will be worried if I'm not there in the morning." Death only gave him a skeptical look, not saying anything yet but most likely because he wasn't sure if it would be okay to say. He didn't give the older god a chance to respond as he slowly walked away, feet dragging the whole way down the stairs.

A part of him expected his father to call after him of follow him as he left the school grounds, but neither happened and the sinking feeling of disappointment settled in his gut. It wasn't too shocking when he thought about it. Both Kid and Death, and everyone really, had been dancing around him as if they feared he would break. So many unasked questions or uneasy and unsure stares were thrown his way. One too many topics broached with the utmost care while watching his every move, always ready to drop it the second he seemed the slightest bit upset.

Even earlier with Kid! How cautious his own brother was with something as simple as a comforting hand on his shoulder. The slightest hesitance in his voice when he asked a question. _And that tiniest bit of suspicion that he had when he was talking to you,_ his mind supplied. Asura shook his head to try not to panic. Kid was probably trying to be cautious so he didn't make him panic. Even if he hated when people were overly careful around him, it was better than Kid thinking he was up to something. It was better than Kid finding out he'd been keeping things from him.

It was only when his soul perception picked up something strange that he was drawn from his own worries. Asura slowed to a stop, glancing around himself cautiously as he tried to locate it. There was nothing in the empty street or on top of the buildings looming over him in the empty street. Glancing up to the sky revealed nothing hovering over him either, and he was about to give up and move on when something changed. It was quick, only a split second, but the sky turned to rough, torch lit stone bricks too low for comfort and a frigid breeze hit him.

Once he blinked it was gone, but the image had left his hands shaking and throat tight. The stale air and faint scent of copper that accompanied it hung around for a little longer before it faded. Asura closed his eyes, ducked his head, and slowly reached into the pocket of his hoodie to pull out the Rubik's Cube he'd made a habit of carrying there. Twisting it absentmindedly gave him something to do with his hands, but he still couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. It had to be a hallucination. It _had_ to be. He didn't want to deal with hallucinations, he just wanted to go home!

Asura had been ready to simply turn down the path towards the Manor. It was late after all, he was tired and Kid was probably still awake waiting for him to come home. But something pulled at him. Something his soul perception had just barely picked up on. He wasn't sure what it was, it didn't feel human, in fact, it didn't feel like anything. No soul, just a presence. An overbearingly heavy presence. Was this...was this possibly some kind of soul protect? Was it a witch? Asura wasn't so sure but if it was, then he would certainly investigate. He wanted to go home though, he might be able to call Death from there and have him send someone to investigate.

 _But if something bad happens it will be your fault. What would Death say if your reluctance lets whatever it is get away?_ The thought hit him hard, and he tightened his grip on his toy. A part of him was sure his father would understand, but it was small compared to the overwhelming fear of Death's wrath. It wasn't something he was willing to risk so he took a deep breath and forced his legs to move away from home and towards the strange presence.

He wove through the dimly lit streets and darker alleys as quickly as he could, hoping to get there before the presence vanished. What would he do when he got there? Well, he wasn't sure but if he could at least see it he could tell Death who or what he saw. Something was better than nothing after all, unless there turned out to be nothing. If that were the case, he may get in trouble.

The closer he got, the more unnatural everything around him felt. He wasn't even sure if anything had really changed or if his anxiety and paranoia was causing his madness to twist things. Even if that were the case, he could clearly feel something was off. The air grew colder the closer he got to the presence and a faint whistling could be heard, clearly not made by a person but oddly familiar nonetheless. It wasn't until he set foot in familiar territory that the temperature dropped drastically, sending shivers down his spine as he pulled his jacket tighter around his body.

This was the park he had been to with Kid and his friends. The presence seemed to be a bit beyond it but something had him frozen just inside the entrance. It wasn't anything Asura could see, no matter where he looked he couldn't find anything. Still he could _feel_ it. The eyes burning into the back of his body, watching and waiting from someplace just outside of his vision. _This was a mistake,_ Asura realized, his grip tightening on the toy in his hands. This was not just his paranoia, not just his madness. Who or whatever was out there, whatever he was following, it was dangerous. He shouldn't be here.

 _But if I don't go, who will? Who else will know about this?_ Asura thought, slowly running his hands along his arms in an attempt to warm up. This was a major security breach if it was an enemy. So far he seemed to be the only one aware of it too. Perhaps it was just his training, but a part of him urged him to investigate. He was the only available person at the moment. He also had no idea if the presence he felt would still be here if he ran for help now. The fearful, paranoid voice in his mind reminded him that if he didn't see this through, any blood spilled would be on his hands. Surely Death would not be happy if he let something happen to the people of his father's beloved city.

It took everything he had to move again, shuffling reluctantly along at first as a part of him screamed that this was _wrong, wrong wrong! Go back! Be safe!_ He tried to ignore it, picking up pace as he passed the basketball court. Soon enough he was almost out of the park. It was close. _I don't want to do this._ Just through the next alley. _I should have gone home._ As he reached the end of the alley he stopped. He would only peek around the corner. Just a quick look. _Don't! Som_ _ething isn't right!_ He just needed to see. Just a description. To know who or what. _I_ _t's wrong, it's wrong, it's wrong, it's wrong, it's-_

Nothing.

It was nothing.

Asura let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding as the cold faded and the spine-chilling feeling of eyes on his back left him. It was nothing... But what happened to the presence he'd felt? He spent a moment or two gathering himself back together before stepping out of the alleyway and into the plaza he'd stumble upon. The place still have off an eerie feeling, but he could easily tell himself it was just the scenery and the time. Tall, gothic building with their steeply angled roofs and iron fences surrounded the little square area. The sparse, twisting trees reached as high as they could with spindly branches, though they were nowhere near the side of the building. There were a few bushes and flowers scattered about and a plain, circular stone fountain at the square's center. Nothing special about any of it, but the lack of people and unlit streetlights and the starless sky and the moon hanging high overhead with blood trailing from it's mouth gave it an unsettling edge.

Slowly, Asura made his way to the fountain and sat on the edge staring down at the toy in his hands for a moment before setting it aside. The sound of running water helped calm his nerves to some extent, providing some relief from an otherwise deafening silence as he sat with his head in his hands. This had been a waste of his time, he could have been home and curled up in bed with a book or something. But instead he followed a presence he now questioned the existence of and wound up here. Because surely if someone were there, they couldn't flee fast enough for him to miss. The presence had been right there, right by the fountain, up until he's looked around the corner. If someone had really been there, then there was no possible way they could have just vanished.

He should go home. He wanted to but... _But it wouldn't hurt to double check,_ came the thought. It made him sigh even though he knew it was a good point. It wasn't hard to use soul perception, but he had to focus to narrow in on his exact location instead of searching the entire city for something that may not exist. Nothing... Nothing at all. The lack of the presence he'd felt left him with relief until it finally sunk in. He couldn't sense anything at all, not even the humans who should have been sleeping their beds. These buildings were houses, he was pretty sure of that, so where were the owners?

As he got back to his feet, Asura looked around the area again. The anxiety was back now, nagging that he'd been careless and that he was in danger. In a house to the right, he spotted something splattered across the first floor window. _Run._ He took a step forward, then another and another. Before he knew it he was standing in front of the door. _Don't!_ He knocked once and the door creaked open just a bit. This wasn't good. He should get someone, call Death, get help for fucks sake! He should be alone. But someone might be alive, they might be hurt, they might need help. He was the only one around. He had to check, didn't he?

The door groaned as he pushed it open further and slipped into the foyer. It was a nice little house with wood floors and large arches connecting it to the rooms on either side, but the strong scent of blood was so heavy that he swore he could taste copper. His stomach turned as the nausea hit him and he had to clamp a hand over his mouth to help fight back the urge to vomit. He'd knew the kind of damage one would have to do to make that kind of smell, he'd seen it first hand. The mangle bodies in the living room were expected, but as he inched closer to inspect them he noticed something that caught his breath in his throat.

The woman on the floor's face was obscured by her dark hair, but it made the gleaming metal around her neck stand out even more. Asura's hand flew to his own neck, carefully brushing across the place his collar had sat before. His throat felt tight, and it was getting harder to take in air. He knew that collar, the one that hid the souls of these people. There was another on the man slumped against the wall beneath the window, his wide, dead eyes pinned to the floor in front of him. These were Vajra's collars. These were his. He was here! He had done it, gotten into the city without Death's notice.

Asura's knees buckled and he kneeled on the floor, hunching over until his elbows rested on the ground with his hands pulling hard on his hair. Terror reared up from where he'd kept it at bay, unable to keep it in check with the current realization he'd had. Over and over his mind screamed at him for being so stupid, for not getting help first. _It's not safe! I'm not safe! He's here! Vajra was here!_ He didn't know what to do, he was in danger. He needed help, _please someone it's too scary!_

A loud thud sounded somewhere above him, snapping him out of his terror as he sat upright. Someone was still here. He wasn't alone. Doing his best to quiet his breathing, Asura strained to hear anything else. The faint clunk of footsteps moving around could be heard. He had to go. He had to leave. It had to be Vajra, it just had to be. There was no one else here. He didn't want to be caught, to be taken back and locked away in that cold, dark cell he had been in for the last eight hundred years.

He tried to move as quietly as possible, getting to his feet and shuffling towards the door. It was still open, _thank god_ , and he was halfway through the door when the cold from earlier hit him again. The world outside the door flickered, the dark square turning briefly into torchlight stone walls before it reverted back to normal. He stumbled past the door way, and made it to just beyond the front gate before he heard him. "Oh, you're here!" Asura froze, whole body tense at the familiar voice, _Vajra's voice. He's here, he's here, he's here._ He couldn't move, he wasn't sure why, just that he couldn't. Even as Vajra's footsteps got closer he couldn't do anything.

"Are you alone out here? I know you never liked the dark, so I wasn't entirely expecting you to show and certainly not without company." Vajra stated cheerfully. He sounded too close...Asura whipped around to face the weapon, to be sure he wouldn't come any closer. A few feet behind him stood Vajra, dressed in the same brown jacket, black pants, and red bandana as his stalker always wore. That was no surprise, he had suspected as much, but the friendly smile and happy expression sent chills down his spine. When he got no response, Vajra continued, "I'm glad to see you're well Asura! I was worried."

The man took a step forward, freezing as Asura backed up to keep the distance between them. His smile faltered, a blank expression crossing his face for a moment before he put on a gentle smile. "I'm here to bring you home. It isn't safe here." The man said, eyeing the reaper carefully. Asura was shaking, eyes wide and breathing becoming steadily uneven as he stared at his old partner in horror. "You are afraid. Is it because of what happened when I came back? I want to apologize for that. For hurting you. I hadn't been myself and I'm sorry for lashing out, but that is no reason to be so scared. I've done nothing else to harm you unprovoked."

"Un-unprovoked?!" The words came out before he could stop them, more disbelieving than angry. "H-how was bashing my head in with a rock 'provoked'? How was imprisoning me and torturing me 'provoked'? How was-" The moment he noticed Vajra's smile drop into a scowl and his eyes narrow, Asura stopped speaking. He should have kept his mouth shut, Vajra didn't look too happy now. The world around them flickered again, holding it's form instead of fading back to the square. Vajra seemed unfazed by it even as Asura glanced around in a panic and stomped forward.

Asura stumbled back, desperately trying to maintain the same distance from his old partner as he he tried not to panic more. But he knew this place he was seeing. It was the tunnels he had been trapped in, the stale air and scent of burning wood all too familiar. He kept going until he ran into something behind him, knocking him off balance. Vajra took the opportunity to lunge forward, grabbing onto his jacket and lifting him off the ground enough that Asura had to stand on the tips of his toes. Asura grabbed onto the man's hands, clawing at them desperately as he tried to squirm away.

"If _you_ hadn't attacked them, they would have let you be. If _you_ hadn't destroyed them and come along quietly, I wouldn't have had to hurt you. If _you_ had just stayed put, or asked me if I would let you out, I wouldn't have harmed you for escaping. But you destroyed my soldiers without any good reason and you did what you wanted, like you've always done. You can't destroy my soldiers and not expect retaliation. How selfish do you have to be?" The man snapped, shaking the reaper slightly and ignoring the frightened yelp he got in response. When he got no answer he lowered his voice slightly, "I was only trying to help. You wouldn't have to be afraid if you would just let me help. We're partners, you're supposed to trust me! Don't you trust me? Don't you realize I only have your best interests at heart?"

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. Asura couldn't think clearly, he was sure Vajra was wrong. He had been attacked! Those stone soldiers had attacked him when he'd followed Vajra into the old building...right? That much he was sure of, if he was wrong then Vajra would be right. But... Would Vajra have let him go? Was there a chance, any chance at all, that if he'd tried to talk to Vajra... No, he did. He'd begged and begged to go home. He'd swore not to speak a word of what happened if they could just go back. He tried to bargain, that maybe Death could fix this, maybe Death could make him human again. Did Vajra not remember that? Or did he not consider that "talking"?

Finally Vajra spoke up again. "I was worried about you, you know? Don't you remember all the things they said about you when you aren't in the room? Remember, Death wanted to kill you. He thought you were a threat, he thought you were dangerous. He was so sure you would give in to Madness and become a Kishin that he planned ahead for your death." And Vajra had been right there. He remembered sensing the other warlords gather for meetings, though he had assumed they were only socializing until Vajra told him what was happening. He remembered being grateful for his partner's honesty even if it hurt to hear how little even his father thought of him. And to know Death had planned to kill him because he believed he would go mad? It was too much.

"Don't you remember how he would look at you when you would make a mistake or act out of line? How he always pinned the blame on you even if I was at fault for a failed mission? You were never enough for him, he was always disappointed and skeptical." Again, Vajra had been right. He was always to blame, never enough. Part of him believed the few times Death was not disappointed or disapproving of him were made up. That the few "good jobs" or affectionate ruffling of his hair had been something he imagined. They weren't frequent and they only got fewer and farther between until any affectionate gesture was dropped altogether.

"What's different now, hmm? That he thought you were dead? Doesn't it bother you that he only cared about you after he thought you died? Don't you understand it's all fucking fake? He lost interest when you got too out of control to be a good weapon, but now that I'm back and Arachne's back, he has a use for you, to get rid of us. What will he do to you when we're gone? Doesn't that worry you?" The god let his grip on the weapon's hand loosen, knowing it was useless and that Vajra had a point. It worried him. He had always had a subconscious fear of just being a tool, of outliving his usefulness. It almost happened once before, but Vajra had... kidnapped him before then. If that never happened would he be dead? Would Death really kill him? "I won't hurt you again Asura, not if you come with me. I'll protect you just like I've always done."

He could leave with Vajra, but...he still had Kid. Kid wasn't Death. Even if he was useless and Death wanted him gone, his brother would still want him, right? Kid and Liz and Patty... They seemed to genuinely care. They wanted him around. If he left with Vajra or let Vajra take him, then Kid would be beyond worried. He might even be afraid, and he couldn't scare his brother like that. Tightening his grip, he lifted one leg and kicked as hard as he could. It caught the Kishin in the stomach and the man choke as he dropped Asura and stumbled back.

Asura stumbled and tripped over whatever was behind him, landing with a splash and inhaling water. He sat up quickly, gasping for air and trying to cough it out. Everything around him was normal again, he was in the fountain in the square. He had to go, right now. As quickly as possible he tried to climbed over the ledge opposite where he fell in. Going through the fountain away the fastest way out of the square after all, the alley he took into it was right across from there. Just as he'd gotten over the edge, something pulled him back and a hand clamped over his mouth before he could scream for help. "Fine then, if you want to do this the hard way, we can. Just remember, this could have been easy if you listened to me."

He was lifted off the grounded and slammed back into the water before he could fully process what was happening, barely resurfacing before his old partner was holding him under again. Asura clawed at Vajra's hands with one of his own the other trying to find something, anything to use to help him. He was fighting harder than he did earlier, until he felt something hard and rough under his palm, like stone. If that was what he was hoping it was, he may be saved. He couldn't hold his breath forever. Balling his free hand into a fist, he smashed it into the stone. Once, twice, three times before it gave away just a bit. Another hit and it burst, taking the water with it and leaving him sputtering and coughing up water.

Vajra growled, hand transforming into a blade, "You never make things easy, do you? I'm sorry but I have no choice." Asura's hand reached out, closing around a chunk of rubble as he watched Vajra pull his arm back, more than ready to run his own partner through. He didn't think before he swung, the stone breaking on impact and sending the man toppling over and loosening his grip just enough for Asura to get himself free. He wasted no time scrambling to his feet and bolting towards the alleyway out of the square.

His clothes were soaked through, clinging to his skin tightly and chilling him to the bone. He paid little attention to it, instead he listened for footsteps, yelling, any sign that he was being followed as he ran blindly through the streets. He didn't stop for anything, not until he turned a corner and slammed into someone, taking the both of them down with alarmed shouts and rolling across the ground. Immediately, Asura sat upright, eyes wide as he glanced around terrified he'd been caught off guard by the weapon again. Instead he was met with one of Kid's friends, the blue haired one, Black Star, pushing himself up and brushing himself off. He was dressed in only a white tank top with his name on it in black and dark blue shorts with little gold stars on them. It looked like he'd just woken up.

"WHO THE FUCK WAS-" The boy began, lifting his weapon threateningly and only lowering her once he saw who had run him over. "Asura! Oh man I'm so glad we found you! Kid called us and woke us all up a bit ago. Said you hadn't come home and he was worried. I'll call Kid and tell him you're with us!" Tsubaki transformed then, also dressed in her night clothes, a simple black gown with a flower pattern and a hoodie over top of that. Black Star patted where his pockets would normally be before turning to Tsubaki. "Can I borrow your phone?" He asked, giving a quick nod as she handed it over.

"Kid told Shinigami-sama first in case you were still at the school, but then he said he thought you were in trouble. We were worried! Even Black Star and Soul." She let out a sigh of relief before slowly approaching him, her relief slowly turning into concern as she took one his appearance. "Asura what happened? You're soaked! You must be freezing." Asura flinched away from the girl when she reached out, still half expecting another attack. But she was right, it was well into the night and the temperature had dropped drastically, with his clothes wet, it only made it worse. He hadn't realized he was shivering from the cold until then, mind too focused on his escape to notice.

Asura wrapped his arms around himself, trying his best to warm up and stop his chattering teeth. But it was too cold and he was soaked and all he could think think of was how close that had been. He'd almost been kidnapped again! And he'd...he'd... "I lost it... " he muttered as he reached into his pocket, only now realizing he had left his toy sitting on the edge of the fountain where he was attacked. He hoped Kid wouldn't be mad at him. Kid was the only one who cared about him, because Vajra had been right about Death. He'd forgotten because he just wanted to be home, but Death had not been the kindest to him before and he had believed Vajra was him. Death had been ready to kill him, not Vajra. Death had even hid the fact that they were brothers!

He could feel the tears starting, but did his best to keep them from falling as Tsubaki knelt beside him. He could hear Black Star a little bit away, but focused on his weapon when she spoke. "Asura, come on. We need to get you out of the cold. I think Soul's place is on the next street. I'm sure he won't mind us stopping in. I'll call him as we walk just to be sure he knows though." She turned to Black Star then and called out to him. "Black Star! Tell Kid to meet us at Soul's apartment!" The boy froze for a moment, then nodded. "He gave me a key once after Black Star broke the door down, so we can get in. Come on."

Asura let Tsubaki pull him to his feet and followed along behind her. Once he hung up, Black Star handed the phone to her and took the lead while Tsubaki called Soul. After that the only sound was Black Star's constant chatter towards Tsubaki until they reached the building Maka and Soul lived in.

* * *

Soul had shown up not long after them, with Kid, Liz, and Patty walking in a few minutes later. Apparently they had turned around to pick up a change of clothes, and while he was thankful, all he had managed was a weak smile before he followed Soul to the bathroom to change. Now that he was somewhat safe, he felt... drained.

Every movement took effort and he felt light his mind was way too far gone for his body to catch up with, the events from earlier playing on repeat until he could only be afraid that it wouldn't stop. Still he had no energy to look afraid, and he was vaguely aware of the concerned looks Kid and his friends sent his way as he sat down on the couch in his striped pajamas. At least he wasn't the only one, it looked like Kid had woken everyone up to help find him and nobody bothered to change.

Someone set a hand over his, drawing his attention. It was Kid, he looked concerned. "Asura...what happened? And don't say nothing, I felt you panic." When he didn't respond, Kid added, "Please! I... We're worried! We were looking for you and then Black Star calls saying they found you and the you were drenched in water and freezing and you looked really scared."

It took a while for him to process, but eventually he managed to speak in a quiet voice, "I...I don't... There was something... I thought I should investigate and then..." _Then the bodies and footsteps and he wasn't alone, he wasn't safe and...and Vajra was there and he tried to take him again and it wasn't safe, wasn't safe, wasn't safe!_ "I-I'm sorry... Please no, no, no, no..." Asura pulled his hands away, gripping his hair and pulling his knees to his chest as he continued muttering under his breath. Kid looked the most alarmed out of the group.

"Kid." Liz spoke up, getting his attention. "Maybe we should leave it until tomorrow morning. What ever happened... I don't think it's something he can tell us yet. Like, when something seriously bad or shocking happens, especially fast, you can't always deal with it right away. It takes some time to process, I guess? Does that make sense?"

Kid nodded slowly, he assumed it was like after the Kishin's revival. He hadn't been able to fully recall everything that happened, he wasn't able to give a good report like he normally would have. It had just happened too fast, he'd been attacked, then Liz and Patty had stepped in, then that pillar came down and... That was everything he could remember, just the basics, not the details. He couldn't even remember if Liz and Patty survived that fight when he'd woken up on the infirmary.

"Soul, do you mind if we stay tonight? I don't know if Asura will be okay walking home." Kid said turning towards his friend. Soul nodded, giving an uneasy grin. It was clear the whole situation had unnerved him as well. Hell, even Black Star looked mildly concerned. "Thanks. Hey, it's alright Asura. Soul said we can stay the night so we don't have to go back out there until morning." Kid said carefully once Asura had managed to relax a little. "We can talk tomorrow about this stuff. For now you need to rest." He only got a small nod in response."

.

.

.

From on top of the building across the street, the man watched the apartment. After Asura and the children he recognized from his revival entered he had sat himself there, trying to locate the right floor. It wasn't until he'd seen the little black cat in a witch's hat paw at one of the windows until was opened by the white haired kid he'd seen that he knew which one it was. He grinned to himself as he made note of where exactly it was.

If Asura wouldn't come willingly and if he would continue to fight, then Vajra was sure he'd have to resort to _other measures_ to get his partner back. "Rachit." The stone soldier beside him made a sound acknowledgement, so he continued. "I will send a few others back to aide you, but I want you to follow that blue haired kid tomorrow. Find out where he and his partner live and report back to me."

The crackling voice responded immediately, "Of course Lord Vajra. Is there anything else?"

"Yes. Once you have back up, assign them to those other brats. I want to know where they frequent, what they like to do, how often the weapons and misters are separate, and anything else along those lines. Understand?"

"Of course sir."

* * *

 _For once Asura was thankful for the dim lighting the witch used in her prisons. The stench of blood was more than enough to make him gag, he didn't want to see the bodies. Just hurry by and try not to look. It wasn't enough though, he could only imagine the horrific deaths of the people held here. His only solace came from the weapon grasped tightly in his hand. How Vajra could be so calm and collected in a place like this he didn't know, but his partner did his best to comfort and reassure him. "How are you so calm Vajra?" he'd asked. There was a moment of hesitance before he got his answer._

 _"...Because this was normal. They'd do their experiments and if you survived that, they'd do more. They would put you against another weapon to see how well you could use your weapon form. Not everyone survived." Vajra had sounded...detached as he spoke, but a feeling of unease slipped through their resonance before he tried to mask it again._

 _"Are you okay? You were in a place like this before, it must be hard." There was no response from him for a while, and Asura was beginning to think he had crossed a line before Vajra spoke up again._

 _"I will be fine." He assured, adding, "Being here just reminds me that this could have been me. I could've been...I was lucky. Though I guess it's not all bad, I met you because of this. I got to be your partner." Even though he tried to push a more upbeat tone, Asura still couldn't get that thought from his head. This could have been Vajra, his partner could have been a mangled corpse in the basement of an Arachnophobia base. He didn't like the idea at all._


	20. Chapter 20

**I am so glad I got this done! I have a lot of crafts to do for craft shows lately. Hope you all like it.**

* * *

"Here you go Asura," Liz said, as she carefully passed him the steaming mug of hot chocolate before taking a seat on the couch. Patty had insisted he have one once he'd woken up, though he didn't actually sleep. He hadn't wanted to make anyone worry so he'd laid on the floor with his eyes closed the whole night and let Patty have the couch. Kid had been on his right side and Liz had curled up on his left. Black Star had sprawled across the floor a ways away from the three of them, propped up against the other couch. He was still there, though now wide awake as Liz handed him his drink. Tsubaki sat beside him on the couch she slept on that night, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

They were waiting on Soul to return with Crona, the albino having decided Crona should be there for when they talked about the night before. Asura dreaded the questions he would have to answer the whole night and had been trying to think of how best to answer their questions. Telling them about Vajra would be necessary...but he wasn't sure he would be able to without panicking again. Even thinking about it made the fear rear up in him, heavy and suffocating as it spiked his anxiety. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to remember. He had to though, this was a major security breach.

Slowly sipping at his drink, he waited. It wasn't bad, in fact he would say he liked it, but the sweetness wasn't helping calm his nerves. It stayed quiet until Soul returned, something that struck Asura as odd since Black Star was there. At least the quiet was better then being questioned. But as the door creaked open and the two, no three if one counted Ragnarok, walked in. Soul directed Crona to a seat on Tsubaki's couch before settling down in between the two and taking the drink offered to him by Liz, urging Crona to do the same.

There was a silence where nobody seemed to know where to start, and it was only broken by the loud exaggerated yawn from the purple haired woman who waltzed in from the kitchen with her own mug in her hands. Her sudden entrance had gained everyone's attention, but Asura immediately looked away and fixed his gaze to the floor. He tried his best to hide his blush behind his hair. She was barely dressed, only a pair of black shorts, a crop top, and a black leather jacket with a fur-lined collar. The hat she wore very much resembled a witch's and he thought it best to check with soul perception, just to be safe.

He glanced up at Soul, the younger boy had turned bright red. "Tha...that's a cat?" The white haired boy spun to look at him when he spoke, a bewildered expression on his face. It took him a moment to realize he was the one being addressed, but eventually he nodded.

"That's B-" he started to explain, only for the woman to bounce into Asura's view with a cheery wave and mischievous smile. She passed her cup off to Liz as she spoke.

"I'm Blair, a magic cat!" As if to prove it, there was a sudden poof and a small black cat took the woman's place. She stretched out her front paws and yawned before hopping up on the couch between Asura and Kid. She either didn't notice or didn't care when Asura curled away from her. "But you can call me Miss B if you like! It's great to finally get to meet you. Any friend of Soul's is a friend of mine."

Asura tensed when he felt paws on his leg, glancing over at Kid for help. The younger boy didn't seem to get what he wanted so Asura took a shaky breath and asked, "I'm sorry Blair but... C-could you not t-touch me?" For a moment the cat only blinked up at him, head tilted curiously in the same way Kuro would do. Then she stepped back.

"Sorry! Not a big fan of close contact then, huh? Kinda like Crona." With another poof, the woman was back in place of the cat, reaching past Asura to take back her cup. If she noticed how he'd tensed again or how he tried to slide over just a bit she didn't let on. "So what's with this little meet up? Something exciting?" It was added quickly, but she seemed genuinely curious. Still, Asura flinched.

"That's what we were trying to find out." Soul told her before he faced Asura. "What happened to you last night?" And there was the question he didn't want to think about. How was he supposed to answer that? Especially with everyone staring expectantly at him. He couldn't answer that. He just... He couldn't! He didn't want to think about those people or Vajra or how close he was to being kidnapped again!

Asura took another sip of his drink, keeping his head down and trying to stall answering for as long as possible. Already he could feel tears starting to gather, and he felt stupid for wanting to cry over a memory. It was over and he was fine! He was still here and he wasn't hurt, so why did it bother him so much to think about Vajra's attack? Why did he feel so afraid from just a memory? He could feel his hands shaking already, sloshing the drink around in the cup.

When someone laid a hand on his arm he flinched. Kid had switched places with Blair and tried to smile reassuringly. "I... I don't..." Taking a deep breath, Asura tried again. "I was... I was coming home last night... Then.. .then I thought I sensed something... I thought I'd investigate...so...so I followed it to..." To where? He wasn't sure, he hadn't been to that place before and hadn't thought to look for a street sign or anything else in his panic.

"To where? Where'd ya go?" Patty asked, leaning around Liz with a curious expression. For a moment, Asura had thought he'd seen a flash of worry but it was gone quickly. He hesitated, not sure how to answer.

"I... Don't know..."

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! YOU DON'T KNOW?!" Black Star shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. Asura yelped, terrified and not sure why Black Star was so angry with that answer. Across from him, Crona jumped and cowered behind a pillow. "How do you not know?! Come on! What are we gonna do of you can't tell us shit?"

Soul reached out to whack the back of his friend's head, a frown on his face as he said, "Not cool man. You need to relax, it's not that big a deal if he can't remember where he was. It was pretty late."

"While I do agree partly," Tsubaki started carefully, as if she thought her words would spark a fight if she wasn't cautious, "Black Star is right. We can't do much if we don't know where Asura was last night. He said he was investigating something, what if it turned out to be an intruder? 'Somewhere in Death City' is a very broad search range." Soul looked a bit disgruntled, but nodded in understanding at the explanation.

A moment of silence settled over them all, no one sure how to proceed. That was until Ragnarok appeared, huffing out a loud, "God! You're all fucking idiots! Can't even ask the right questions." The demon sword waved a hand around to gesture at them all before looking at Asura. "Did you pass anything you recognized or see any signs?"

Asura nodded slowly, he had. He could already guess where this was going and he wasn't sure he wanted to take them all there. But somebody had to know, Death had to know and Asura couldn't guarantee he'd be able to say anything about the attack to his father. There wasn't really much of a choice, showing them was his best option.

"Asura?" It was Kid this time, gently shaking him from his thoughts. The younger Reaper seemed concerned, surely he hadn't been quiet for that long? "Where was the last place you recognized? Could you take us to this other place from there?" Again Asura nodded, despite how badly he didn't want to go.

"The park... The.. The one we always go to..." He told Kid, watching the recognition flash in his brother's eyes. With a quick glance around he could see everyone setting their cups aside and getting to their feet. Still he stayed seated, trying to convince himself that everything would be fine and he could go home soon. It took a minute to get up but eventually he stood, following after the kids as they walked out the door.

.

.

.

It didn't take long for Asura to retrace his steps from the park. In the early morning, it wasn't as frightening to him but the closer he got to the same small square he was attacked in, the more he dragged his feet. It was ridiculous he knew, by now Vajra was long gone, but the fear he'd felt the night before still reared its ugly head. He stopped just before the square completely, finding himself unable to continue. "It's...It's right up ahead..." he muttered quietly.

Beside him, Kid nodded and walked ahead. The younger Reaper only turned back when he realized his brother wasn't following. "You guys go on. I'll be there in a second, just look around a bit for now," he told his friends, earning a few nods, a lazy grin from Soul, and a minor complaint from Black Star. As they shuffled away from the two Kid faced his brother again. "Come on Asura, we might need your help. You didn't exactly tell us what happened or what we're supposed to look for." He reached out carefully, latching onto Asura's sleeve and giving a gentle tug. The older god flinched at the touch but nodded.

Kid was being logical. He hadn't told them much of anything, they would probably not know where to look. They wouldn't find the... The bodies. Not unless he told them where to go, as he doubted they would simply walk into the homes like he had. Asura took deep breaths to try and steady himself as he let Kid pull him along. _In and out, just breath. It's okay, he's gone now._ It wasn't the most comforting thing he could think of but it worked for the moment and that was good enough.

The square wasn't as frightening during the day. Even if the trees still looked a bit twisted and the buildings still looked over them, the feeling of unease wasn't as bad. He could see everyone scattered around the square. Black Star sat perched atop a lamp post while Tsubaki tried to talk him into coming down, one leg dangling over the side and a hand shielding his eyes from the sun as he seemed to survey the area. Liz was with Patty as per usual, the two walking slowly around the outer edge of the square and looking in the small yards in front of the homes. They seemed to be taking their time, and he was sure they hadn't seen the blood spattered window on the opposite side of them yet.

Soul and Crona stood in the massive puddle spilling out from the gaping hole in the fountain, the albino kicking at a bit of the rubble with a thoughtful expression. Crona took to walking slowly around it and, while Asura wasn't sure, he partly believed that Crona was checking for any other damage. He couldn't help but flinch at seeing it, memories from the previous night coming up broken and distorted. _It was so so cold and he couldn't breathe, he had to go! Go, get out! Get away! There were hands holding under, they wouldn't let go. He didn't want to go back! There had to be something! Anything! Please just-!_

He was shaking, hands balled tightly into fists. Kid had left him to talk to his friends, which he was grateful for at the moment. He had to breathe. He was fine. He was safe. It was over, _for now at least but Vajra will come back_ , over and done with. All he had to do was tell them. Tell them it was Vajra, Asura knew he had to. They would tell Death and he would... _he might kill you, just like he'd planned to and just like Vajra said_. _What use does Death have for someone who can't even look at the Kishin he wants dead?_

"Asura!" Kid called out to him as he jogged over. Asura crossed his arms defensively over his chest and pinned his gaze to the ground, unable to look at Kid right then. It was... Painful. His chest hurt, as if something heavy had been set on it. The younger god eyed him with worry, paused until he decided it would be better to not get off track. "...You said you came here to investigate? Where did you look next?" At first he tried to speak, but he found he couldn't form the words. Instead, he lifted his arm and pointed at the house he'd gone into.

Kid followed the motion, turning to see what exactly Asura was pointing at. At first he was confused, not sure why Asura would go to one of the houses, but then he noticed the splatter across the front window. "...I'll be right back."

"W-wait!" Asura said, making Kid freeze. Kid hesitated, glancing between his brother and the house until he finally decided on what to do. He nodded, calling over his friends instead. Soul was the first one to jog over, followed shortly by Crona. Liz and Patty drifted over as Black Star hopped down from his perch to join them, Tsubaki in tow.

"What's up Kid?" Soul was the first to speak, stuffing his hands in his pants pockets. He glanced between the two reapers for moment before finally watching Kid. "All we found was a broken fountain." He announced as he nodded towards Crona, and despite looking somewhat frightened at the motion they still have a quiet _"y-yeah... "_ in agreement. Soul glanced back at Asura curiously but didn't say anything else.

"I need you guys to check the houses." Kid responded, pointing at the one Asura had indicated. "And start with that one." At first nobody moved, even Black Star looked somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of just walking into the homes.

"Why?" the blue-haired boy asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Black Star hadn't meant to be rude, Asura was sure, but the question brought the memory of twisted and mangled bodies and gleaming silver collars with it. He flinched back as ignition physically hurt him, trying to avoid meeting any of the students'curious stares boring into him. God he hated when people stared, feeling their eyes on him always set him on edge. But they wouldn't stop until he told them would they? He wanted them to stop and go away. "...th-they...they're...they're dead... the owners."

His voice was much quieter than he'd meant for it to be but he still managed to say it. At first they seemed to not believe him, staring at him in disbelief until Crona spoke up quietly. "I... I can't s-sense anyone here." The pink haired kid stuttered, shifting nervously and glancing around as if they expected something to jump out at them any second.

"Wait, for real?!" Black Star shouted, spinning to face Crona. Crona jumped back at the sudden movement and loud voice, cowering slightly behind Soul. The blue haired boy didn't even wait for a response before he continued, voice drowning out Tsubaki's apology to Crona. "Alright! Then I'm gonna see if whatever did this is still around! When I find it, it'll wish it stayed out of the city!"

"um...Black Star. I don't think fighting something that killed an entire neighborhood without anyone noticing is a good idea." Tsubaki stated, waving one hand anxiously as she tried to reason with her partner. She had barely finished speaking when Black Star burst out laughing, eyes closed and head tilted back.

Once he stopped, Black Star tossed one arm around his weapon's shoulders and loudly announced, "I'm gonna surpass God! Stuff like this will be easy, so let's go!" Tsubaki smiled nervously, as if she wasn't sure this was a good idea. Or maybe she thought Black Star was being a bit too much for the situation. Either way she seemed a bit unsure as she followed after her partner to patrol around the area.

"Okay, so..." Soul glanced around at the rest of his friends still standing there before turning to Crona. "You wanna pair up with me? Those two usually don't separate." When he added the last part he nodded towards Liz and Patty, the younger girl sticking out her tongue in response.

Liz put a hand on her sister's shoulders and nodded towards a few houses. "We'll go that way. You guys can have those ones." She pointed at the houses opposite the ones she'd claimed as she spoke. Then she turned back to Kid before leaving. "We'll let you know what's going on in a few."

"Okay, thank you," Kid muttered absentmindedly as he glanced at Asura. His brother had slowly been inching away from them and towards the exit, clearly not too keen on sticking around any longer. He followed after the older reaper, watching up quickly and asking, "Where are you going?"

Asura froze right away. For a moment guilt flashed across his face before he hid his expression behind his scarves. He shuffled anxiously as he tried to think of an answer for Kid, only to come up short. Finally he took a deep breath and stuttered out, "...ho...home? I... I don't want to be here." he added the last bit as an after thought, in case Kid wanted an explanation. At first Kid didn't respond, a thoughtful look coming over him before he finally nodded.

"If it makes you feel better. But I do need to ask you a few things. We are going to have to tell father about this after all and of you can't answer, I can just tell him anything he needs to know."

Even though the thought made him uneasy, Asura agreed. He'd rather say it once than repeat himself. And after his little talk with Vajra the night before, he wasn't sure how he would respond if Death confronted him. "I-it was...I... I saw Va-vajra..."

Kid didn't respond, staring up at his brother with wide eyes and mouth open in disbelief. He wasn't sure he could. It was hard trying to wrap his head around the thought that the Kishin has been there, inside Death City, without anyone's notice. _Well, without almost anyone noticing,_ a voice whispered at the back of his mind. Asura had noticed. Asura noticed and he'd investigated. He'd found Vajra here and...

"He was the one who attacked you?" The older reaper didn't respond but Kid didn't need him to. Asura refused to look at him, but the question dragged his attention to the ruined fountain. Kid followed his gaze, a bit confused at first before he realized that that was probably where Asura was attacked. The only response he got was a nod as Asura stepped back.

"I... I'm going home..." He murmured almost too quietly to hear. At first Kid wanted to argue and tell Asura he would be fine if he stayed. He wanted to say that Asura should stay with them until they contacted their father and filled him in. But he'd noticed now how Asura's shoulders shook and his eyes darted around the small square, wide with terror. It seemed like he was fighting the urge to run and was quickly losing.

Not wanting to see Asura so stressed, Kid forced a small smile. "Alright, will you be okay heading back on your own?" A hasty nod was Asura's immediate response.

"Y-you... You have classes t-today... I... I will s-see you after..." He trailed off, finding himself unable to finish the sentence. As soon as Kid nodded in understanding, he couldn't stop himself from bolting out of the area. He just wanted to be far, far away from there. Far away from the place that ruined his safety in minutes. If only he hadn't investigated alone.

* * *

Trudging slowly up the path to the manor, Kid tried to distract himself with Liz and Patty's chatter. It proved useless as his mind drifted back to earlier. To when his weapons had dragged him off to show him what they'd found. Patty had been far too quiet at the time, almost. He didn't like that, everything felt more ominous when she would get like that. The bodies were mangled and twisted, gaping holes in their chests and limbs bent in awkward angles. Still, the most unsettling thing he's noticed was the slightest bruising around their necks.

He caught himself reaching up to rub at his own throat, forcing his hand back down. The marks were too...circular. A faint ring of bruised skin around their necks that reminded him of Asura's old injuries. He hadn't seen them himself, but he'd seen the remains of that old metal collar and the heavy bandages around his brother's neck. It wasn't hard to put together, Vajra collared his victims. He'd brought it up to Death when they contacted him and he knew it would come up again when ever the investigation the school launched needed to hear about it.

But he couldn't figure out why. Why collar the humans? They weren't nearly as strong as... Probably a good few students, certainly nowhere near his level of combat and laughably weak compared to Asura, who the collars were made for. What reason was there for it? Did he just do it to terrorize Asura before attacking him? He needed to get the whole story from his brother, before their father or any of the teachers tried to. If they spoke to him first, Asura might refuse to talk to him or might even refuse Death himself.

Shaking his head to try and clear his mind, Kid realized he'd fallen a bit behind Liz and Patty. He hurried to catch up again, ignoring Liz's curious stare. The manor was unusually quiet when he walked in, it was always quiet but this time the air felt tense. He tried to see why, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe it was his imagination? A lot had happened last night and earlier in the morning so it could have been stress. Yeah, that had to be it.

Behind them, the door clicked shut. All three of them spinning around and Liz evengiving a frightened shriek. It was only Asura though, shutting the open door behind them. When he got there Kid wasn't sure, but he smiled when Asura turned around. It was good to see he was alright. Kid's smile fell quickly, replaced by concern. Asura still refused to look at him directly, but he seemed worse off than earlier in the day. Ruffled clothes and hair were the first things Kid noticed, less like he'd gotten into a fight and more like he'd been unable to sit still. He looked a bit startled too, but it might have been from Liz's shout.

"S-sorry Liz!" He apologized quickly, shuffling in place a bit. "I... I didn't mean to scare you..."

"It's alright. I just didn't hear you." Liz said, offering a reassuring smile. "So how are you doing? Feeling any better?" There was a moment of hesitation before Asura nodded. Liz wasn't sure it it was just because of his anxiety or if he was lying. He didn't look much better to her but she didn't know him well enough to tell. "So what have you been doing?"

"I was only making sure everything was locked before you all came in. It, uh... It helps to be sure..." Asura smiled anxiously, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Rubik's cube he usually kept there. He fiddled with it absentmindedly as he added, "You can never be too careful. I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Liz nodded in agreement. That had been her motto before she and Patty met Kid. She would rather be sure no one could get in without her knowing, especially after they had the cops called on them or pissed off the wrong person. After being attacked, it made sense Asura would be extra cautious.

"Well since we're home now, let's go watch a movie!" Patty chimed in, not giving anyone a chance to disagree as she ran towards the kitchen. "I'll get the popcorn!" Asura glanced back at Kid, an uneasy look on his face. All Kid could do was shrug in response before following Liz to the living room. For a moment Asura hesitated, staring down at the cube in his hands. He wasn't sure he wanted to be around anyone but...he didn't want to be alone. Especially not right now.

He followed after the Kid and Liz, settling in at the end of the couch. Patty was back soon enough, setting the bowls down on the table and taking the spot between Kid and Liz. All of a sudden she reached into her pocket and leaned over Kid to shove a folded piece of paper in Asura's face. "Here! I made this for you at school. I thought it might cheer you up!"

Asura took it from her carefully, and unfolded it. He couldn't help but smile a little at Patty's childish drawing of a giraffe on the page and the scribbled "Feel better soon" beside it. "Thank you Patty." Asura said, folding up the paper and tucking it away in his pocket. Even if it wasn't much, it did help. Vajra may be right about Death, but Kid and his weapons had been nothing but nice to him and they made it clear they worried about him. He was sure he could live with that.


End file.
